TONTITOWN, Ark. — The hotly-contested Eco-Vista Landfill expansion in Tontitown should receive final approval soon after Administrative Law Judge Charles Moulton ruled in favor of it on May 13.
Residents near the landfill site, along with Tontitown Mayor Angela Russell, have strongly opposed any expansion at Eco-Vista, but Waste Management representatives say the landfill is running out of space.
However, Moulton ruled that more groundwater testing should be ordered to check for seepage at the site. According to the ruling, the judge said the petitioners "did partially prove" the Class 1 permit's terms and conditions related to water sampling violated state rules.
Moulton recommended monthly sampling of Wildcat Creek, Harmon Spring, SP-6, Glass Spring, and Clear Spring as well as all monitoring wells.
Aside from the water testing, the judge ruled against the appellants for failing to prove the Class 1 permit's terms and conditions violated state law related to litter control and odor, emergency communications and fire response, and unstable areas.
Final approval for the expansion will still be up to the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission, which approved a 10-acre expansion in April.
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