Rumpke Waste & Recycling has replaced a portion of the liner beneath the Colerain Township landfill following a fire last month.
"Out of precaution, we decided to remove about a half-acre section of the landfill liner and replace it, and go through the certification process with the Ohio EPA to make sure that we can put trash in that area again," Communications Manager Molly Yeager tells WVXU. "When we looked at it, it didn't appear to have any damage to it, but we wanted to be absolutely, abundantly cautious."
The landfill has a sophisticated lining system made of clay, a plastic liner, a cushion layer, and a drainage layer consisting of either sand, shredded tires or pea gravel, depending on where it is in the landfill. In this section of the landfill, the drainage layer was comprised of shredded tires.
The liner is important because it prevents waste and liquids from the landfill from contaminating the soil and groundwater below.
"Our job is to protect the environment from society's waste, and we want to make sure that we're doing that. So we did this really out of precaution, more than a requirement," Yeager adds.
She says the replacement was completed the same week as the fire and that section of the landfill is operational.
The fire at the landfill in Colerain Township broke out around 6:30 p.m. Sunday evening, Sept. 14, in an active part of the landfill where waste was being deposited. Smoke could be seen for miles coming from the landfill on the corner of Struble Road and U.S. 27. The company said the fire was out a little after 8 p.m.
No one was injured, though people living nearby were told to consider closing their windows because of the smoke.
What caused the blaze?
The company says it was unable to determine an exact cause of the fire.
"Because of the amount of trash and the efforts to quickly reduce the flames and to control the fire, we weren't able to really explore and determine exactly what (caused it)," says Yeager. "It was something flammable. The likelihood was it's probably a lithium-ion battery. That seems to be the most common fire starter that we're seeing not only at Rumpke, but across the industry."
Earlier this summer, Rumpke reminded people not to dispose of fireworks, charcoal, propane tanks and other electronics with lithium-ion batteries that can combust in trash collection trucks, recycling centers or landfills, after a series of fires.
There were more than 250 fire incidents at waste and recycling facilities across the U.S. and Canada in the first half of 2025, according to Ryan Fogelman, a member of the National Fire Protection Association’s Technical Committee for Hazard Materials. Plus, there have been at least 89 deaths in the U.S. directly linked to lithium-ion battery incidents since 2020, per UL Solutions.
Yeager says being careless with your waste is more dangerous than people may think.
"Putting batteries in your trash and your recycling unnecessarily puts employees, motoring public, the fleet, neighborhoods, communities, and facilities at risk," she points out.
The risk of danger isn't just at the landfill. Loads of trash can catch on fire in the truck, endangering trash workers, other drivers, and homes and businesses. Smoke from the fires is also bad for air quality and people with breathing issues. It could also be toxic if someone has improperly thrown away hazardous items.
Plus, Yeager points out, a lot of Rumpke's trucks run on compressed natural gas.
"That's even scarier because if the fire gets to those tanks that could cause, potentially, an explosion."
People can expect to see a nationwide campaign against putting batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries, in the trash. The National Waste & Recycling Foundation is partnering with the U.S. Forest Service's famous mascot, Woodsy Owl, to encourage people to "Skip the Bin—Turn Your Batteries In!”
Lithium-ion batteries — also known as Li-ion batteries — are the rechargeable style of battery found in all kinds of devices these days. They're in cellphones, lap tops, all kinds of electronics, toys, wireless headphones, handheld power tools, small and large appliances, electric vehicles and electrical energy storage systems, and even greeting cards—the kind with sound.
What you can and can't leave at the curb
Other dangerous items Yeager says they have problems with people putting in the trash are propane tanks, charcoal embers, and pool chemicals.
Rumpke lists the following prohibited items both online and on the reverse side of paper bills:
- Drywall
- Concrete
- Bricks
- Rocks
- Drums or barrels
- Motor oil or cooking oil
- Lead acid batteries (Ex.: car and boat batteries — most auto stores will accept)
- Lithium-ion batteries (Can dispose of at the Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub, some fire departments, various retail stores like Staples and Batteries Plus)
- While residential customers may place used alkaline batteries (Ex.: AA, AAA, D-volt) in curbside trash, businesses may not
- Tires
- Combustible materials
- Any items considered household hazardous waste
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