[ADEQ Public_notices] Proposed Southpoint Municipal Solid Waste Landfill - Mobile, Arizona

Mon Jan 12 11:42:05 MST 2004

PUBLIC NOTICE

PROPOSED SOUTHPOINT MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILL FACILITY STATE ROUTE
238, MOBILE, MARICOPA COUNTY ARIZONA

The purpose of this public notice is to inform the public that the
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has received a solid
waste landfill facility plan application from Southpoint Environmental
Services (SES), LLC. to build and operate a municipal solid waste
landfill facility, and to solicit comments on the plan. The proposed
Southpoint Municipal Solid Waste Landfill facility is located
approximately twenty-one miles southwest of the Phoenix metropolitan
area, but is physically separated from the metropolitan area by the
Sierra Estrella Mountains. The facility is north of and adjacent to
State Route 238 and east of the 75th Avenue alignment. The northern
boundary is BLM land and the eastern boundary is within 330 feet of the
Pinal County line. The property is approximately 688 acres in size but
SES will use approximately 479 acres for landfill operation. The
property has received a special use permit for a solid waste landfill
facility from the Maricopa County Planning and Development Department.
When the landfill reaches capacity and is closed, the proposal is for
closure at 185 feet above the existing ground surface, which is
approximately 30 feet below the existing nearby rock outcrops. 

As part of its deliberation on whether to approve or disapprove the
application, ADEQ is requesting comments on the proposed municipal solid
waste landfill facility. ADEQ will review all written technical comments
and, as appropriate, request the applicant to modify the facility plan
to address comments received. If a preliminary decision is made by ADEQ
to approve the facility plan application, and if sufficient public
interest is evidenced by written comments received, the department will
hold a Formal Public Hearing. If a public hearing is held, each person
who submitted comments will be notified by mail of the hearing, and a
public hearing notice will be published in this newspaper.

ADEQ's role in the approval process is to ensure, through the plan
review process, that the proposed solid waste landfill can operate
without creating a public health nuisance or causing contamination to
the environment. Therefore, ADEQ is interested in receiving comments
that address the proposed design of the landfill, operational practices,
and other public health or environmental concerns.  

ADEQ is also interested in receiving comments from those concerned
about whether  granting approval of the application is consistent with
the Civil Rights Restoration Act (42 U.S. Code 2000d) and EPA
regulations governing programs that are in receipt of EPA funding (40
Code of Federal Regulations Part 7).  ADEQ is particularly interested in
comments or information demonstrating that approval of this facility
would cause an adverse and disparate impact on the local community as
defined in EPA' s disparate impact regulation (40 CFR Part 7). Sec
Federal Register 39650, 29679 (2000).

Written comments must be submitted during the comment period which
begins with the first publication of this public notice (on or about
January 8, 2004) and ends at 5:00 p.m. on March 8, 2004. Two public
meetings (dates and times to be announced) will be held during this
public comment period, and are in addition to the Formal Public Hearing
mentioned above.  All written comments must be signed by the person
making the comments and include his/her name and address.  Comments and
requests to be notified of the public meetings must be submitted to
Richard Jeffries, P.E., Manager, Solid Waste Plan Review Unit, Waste
Programs Division, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, 1110
West Washington Street, Phoenix, Arizona  85007. 

For more information about the proposed facility, contact Deepal
Gunawardena at (602) 771- 4581, or toll free in Arizona at (800)
234-5677, Ext. 771-4581.  The proposed municipal solid waste landfill
facility plan application is available for public review at the ADEQ
Records Management Center, First Floor, 1110 West Washington Street,
Phoenix, Arizona 85007 during business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except public holidays).  The application is also
available at the Town of Maricopa Library, 44240 West Maricopa,
Maricopa, Arizona 85239. The Town of Maricopa Library is open hours are
Monday and Wednesday 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday
8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.   