Oklahoma DEQ and Judge Order Closure of Tulsa Sanitary Landfill

Date: August 31, 2007

Source: Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality

North Tulsa Sanitary Landfill Ordered to Close

The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality announced that Oklahoma County District Judge Daniel Owens has ruled that a permanent injunction calling for the closure of North Tulsa Sanitary Landfill will remain in full effect. In July, Judge Owens ordered the landfill, located at 4215 E. 56 th Street North, to cease all operations and close the facility. Attorneys for the landfill asked the Court for a modification of the July order and to allow the facility to stay open. That request has been denied by the Court.

This matter stems from several years of non-compliance with DEQ requirements, including a 2006 legally binding agreement between DEQ and North Tulsa Sanitary Landfill. As part of that agreement, the facility was to submit an approvable plan to DEQ for construction of a new cell for waste disposal by August 28, 2006. That deadline was missed. Under the Consent Order, the penalty for failure to meet the deadline was to immediately shut down the landfill. To date, an approvable plan has not been submitted to DEQ.

Following Judge Owens' order for the landfill to immediately cease all operations and to close the facility, further use of or deliveries to the landfill will be in violation of the law. State law requires that municipal solid waste be delivered to a state approved landfill.

For a list of approved landfills, please visit www.deq.state.ok.us or call DEQ's Land Protection Division at (405) 702-5100.

For more information, contact:
Skylar McElhaney
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality
(405) 702-7167

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