FOSTORIA – On Feb 4th, 2025 Mayor Don Mennel announced that he made the decision alone to restart leachate processing at the Fostoria Waste Water Treatment Plant. The leachate from the recent “spill” at Win Waste Innovations is curretly being transported to Fostoria.
Mayor Mennel bypassed the normal channels of democracy by going over the heads of city council & the citizens of Fostoria.
Nevertheless, Mennel failed to negotiate a fair rate but instead granted Win Waste a 1/2 cent discount per gallon compared to the City of Marion. Additionally, Win Waste is saving nearly $183K in transportation cost. It should also be noted that the City of Bowling Green, OH charges $0.063 per gallon.
During Saturday’s “Convos With Council”, some city leaders mislead the public by saying the City of Marion only charges $0.03 per gallon – a falsehood that was confirmed by email. Marion charges Win Waste/Sunny Farms Landfill $0.045 per gallon according to Matt Ice from the WWTP.
Some employees at Win Waste claimed that it is faster to transport leachate to the City of Marion which is roughly a 1 hour drive compared to a 15 minute drive into Fostoria. A comical statement to say the least.
In light of recent encounters with the City of Fostoria and their deliberate concealment of leachate testing outcomes from public scrutiny, it is my viewpoint that environmental preservation does not appear to be a priority for them.
A “Pack The Room” event has been created on Facebook. Residents who have questions or issues regarding leachate may attend the upcoming City Council Meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, March 4th at 6:00PM.
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/EKzH2nhJy3STRBDb-generated_image.jpg7681024Editor-in-Chiefhttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngEditor-in-Chief2025-03-03 12:35:562025-03-03 12:35:58Fostoria Citizens to Make a Stand Against Mayor Mennel & Cheap Leachate Processing
FOSTORIA, OHIO – In a decisive step toward sustainable energy and fiscal responsibility, the City of Fostoria is paving the way for a new solar energy initiative at Reservoir 5. On March 02, 2025, the Fostoria City Council introduced Ordinance No. 2025, a measure designed to authorize the lease of a portion of city-owned land—identified by Hancock County permanent parcel numbers 510000910170 and 510000910180—for photovoltaic solar energy development. The ordinance, sponsored at the request of Mayor Donald Mennel, reflects the city’s commitment to repurposing underutilized assets for the public good.
Photo byThe Fostoria Free Press
Reservoir 5, a waterbody long familiar to Fostoria residents, has been deemed unnecessary for municipal purposes by both the Director of Public Service and Safety and the City Council. Rather than letting the land sit idle, city leadership sees an opportunity to transform it into a revenue-generating asset. The ordinance empowers the Director of Public Service and Safety to solicit sealed bids for leasing the surface area of Reservoir 5 specifically for solar energy projects, with the goal of securing the highest and best offer through a competitive bidding process.
Photo byThe Fostoria Free Press
A Transparent and Competitive Process
Under the proposed ordinance, the city will adhere strictly to Ohio state law, including Section 721.01 of the Ohio Revised Code, which governs the sale and lease of municipal lands. The bidding process will involve advertising for five consecutive weeks in a local newspaper of general circulation, ensuring broad public awareness and participation. The Director of Public Service and Safety is granted authority to reject any or all bids if they fail to meet the city’s standards, but only the highest bidder will ultimately secure the lease.
Photo byThe Fostoria Free Press
To ensure accountability, the Director of Law and the City Engineer have been tasked with preparing detailed bid specifications and a contract tailored to the winning bidder. The bid opening and lease award process will take place in a public meeting, reinforcing the city’s commitment to transparency as mandated by Section 121.22 of the Ohio Revised Code.
Photo byThe Fostoria Free Press
An Emergency Measure for Fiscal Health
The ordinance has been declared an emergency measure, a designation that underscores its urgency for Fostoria’s financial well-being. According to the text, the lease of Reservoir 5 is seen as a critical step to “raise municipal revenue” at a time when such funds are vital for preserving public health, safety, and welfare. If approved by a two-thirds vote of the City Council and signed by Mayor Mennel, the ordinance will take effect immediately, expediting the transition to solar energy development.
A Vision for Sustainability and Revenue
The decision to lease Reservoir 5 for photovoltaic solar energy aligns with broader trends in municipal governance, where cities nationwide are turning to renewable energy to meet both environmental and economic goals. By harnessing the sun’s power on a site no longer needed for traditional purposes, Fostoria aims to generate operating revenue while contributing to a cleaner energy future.
Council President Brian Shaver and Council Clerk Tamara L. Drake have been instrumental in shepherding this initiative through the legislative process, ensuring that all formal actions comply with legal requirements. Mayor Mennel, who requested the ordinance, views it as a pragmatic solution to bolster the city’s finances without burdening taxpayers.
Photo byThe Fostoria Free Press
Next Steps
As the ordinance moves toward a vote, the Fostoria community awaits the outcome of this forward-thinking proposal. The successful bidder will not only bring a new solar energy installation to the region but also play a role in shaping the city’s economic landscape for years to come. With Reservoir 5 poised for reinvention, Fostoria is taking a bold step into a sustainable and prosperous future.
For now, all eyes are on the City Council chambers, where the fate of Ordinance No. 2025 will soon be decided. If passed, it could mark the beginning of a transformative chapter for this Ohio city—one powered by the sun and guided by a vision of progress.
Environmental Impact Study (EIS)
Whether an environmental impact study (EIS) should be conducted for the proposed solar energy lease at Reservoir 5 in Fostoria, Ohio, depends on several factors, including legal requirements, the scope of the project, and potential ecological concerns. Let’s explore this question objectively.
Legal and Regulatory Considerations
Under Ohio law, specifically Section 721.01 et seq. of the Ohio Revised Code referenced in the ordinance, the focus is on the competitive bidding process for leasing municipal land, but there’s no explicit mandate for an environmental impact study in this context. However, federal or state environmental regulations could apply depending on the project’s specifics. For instance:
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): If federal funding or permits (e.g., from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) are involved—say, due to impacts on wetlands or waterways—an EIS might be required. Since Reservoir 5 is a waterbody, any installation affecting its surface or surrounding ecosystem could trigger federal oversight.
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA): The OEPA regulates activities that might affect water quality, air, or wildlife. A solar project on a reservoir could involve construction (e.g., floating solar panels), which might disturb aquatic habitats or water quality, potentially necessitating a review or permits under Ohio’s environmental laws.
The ordinance doesn’t mention an EIS, suggesting the city may not currently view it as a legal necessity. However, the Director of Law and City Engineer, tasked with preparing bid specifications, could include environmental assessments as part of the process if deemed prudent or required by higher authorities.
Potential Environmental Concerns
Reservoir 5’s designation as “no longer needed for municipal purposes” implies it’s not currently critical for water supply or public recreation, but its ecological role remains unclear. Leasing its surface for photovoltaic solar energy—likely floating solar panels—could have both positive and negative impacts:
Positives: Solar energy reduces reliance on fossil fuels, cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Floating panels might also reduce evaporation from the reservoir, conserving water.
Negatives: Construction and operation could disrupt aquatic ecosystems (fish, plants, birds), alter water temperature or light penetration, or introduce pollutants (e.g., from panel maintenance). If the surrounding land is disturbed for infrastructure (cables, access points), wetlands or wildlife habitats might be affected.
Without baseline data on Reservoir 5’s current environmental state, it’s hard to gauge the significance of these impacts. An EIS would provide that data, assessing risks and proposing mitigation measures.
Practical and Ethical Arguments
Pro-EIS: Conducting a study could preempt community concerns, ensure compliance with any overlooked regulations, and protect the city from future liability if environmental damage occurs. Given the emergency declaration to raise revenue, a proactive EIS might also reassure bidders and the public that the project is sustainable, not just a quick financial fix.
Against EIS: If the project’s footprint is minimal (e.g., floating panels with no major land disturbance), the city might argue the cost and delay of an EIS outweigh the benefits, especially under the ordinance’s urgency clause. Small-scale solar projects often bypass extensive studies if they meet basic permitting thresholds.
An environmental impact study isn’t explicitly required by the ordinance or Ohio’s bidding laws, but it could be warranted depending on the project’s scale, federal involvement, or ecological sensitivity of Reservoir 5. The city might benefit from at least a preliminary environmental review—less intensive than a full EIS—to identify risks and satisfy public interest, especially since the ordinance emphasizes public welfare. If the Director of Public Service and Safety or City Engineer sees potential for significant environmental disruption, they could recommend such a step before bids are finalized. Ultimately, balancing fiscal urgency with ecological responsibility might argue for some level of assessment, even if not legally mandated.
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-02-at-1.55.44 PM.png8481408Editor-in-Chiefhttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngEditor-in-Chief2025-03-02 16:23:402025-03-02 16:23:40Fostoria Moves Forward with Reservoir #5 Solar Energy Project
(ATTICA, Feb. 27, 2025) – Following the train derailment on Feb. 11, 2025, which involved two tanker cars leaking – one containing corn syrup and the other ethanol – the Village of Attica confirmed that the water system has remained fully pressurized since the incident. This means the water supply has not been at risk of contamination from the spill.
Water samples are being collected from the Attica water tower, located downstream from the spill, to ensure safety. So far, two tests have shown no detectable levels of ethanol in the drinking water.
Ohio EPA is advising the village to continue weekly ethanol testing until the site is fully cleaned up.
Photo byThe Fostoria Free Press
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-28-at-3.02.33 AM.png9941420Editor-in-Chiefhttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngEditor-in-Chief2025-02-28 04:03:112025-02-28 04:03:11Attica, OH Water Remains Safe After Train Derailment
I read the last piece that was done by the Fostoria Free Press about the landfill and its so-called administrator and liaison to former commissioner Ben Nutter. A lot of good information, but also a lot that is still not known, some of which I’m going to give you today.
As a former employee and former manipulator, falsifier of documents, all while working for Sunny Farms and under their instructions, I can tell you things first-hand that you may or may not believe, so I’ll give it to you in the form of my opinion.
Chris Valerian was the owner of Live Earth LLC. While the information is correct that WCA acquired the landfill from Mr. Valerian in the tune of 88 million, there’s some information that’s not given about the ties between Ben Nutter, Mr. Valerian, and WCA.
WCA purchased the landfill earlier than stated; according to the SEC, they purchased that landfill in 2009, not 2011 as others believed or was made public. Also, since Mr. Valerian, who was indebted to someone from whom he received the money to purchase the landfill in the first place, WCA came to the rescue by paying off his debt, giving him 88 million, giving him 555.5 million shares of WCA, which was about 13.7% at that time. Also, they kept him in charge of the landfill and the transfer stations on the East Coast.
And if Mr. Valerian gave campaign contributions to Ben Nutter, then I believe WCA would have known about it as well because it would have been their money that paid for that campaign.
As far as falsifying documents and things of that nature, being as I was one of the people that did that while I worked there, I can guarantee you that type of conduct has been going on since long before I started working there. Also, by WCA buying the landfill earlier than was publicly released, and WCA being, at that time, part of another company who was owned by Tunnel Hills and GFL, which purchased WCA before that was publicly released as well, it goes to show a pattern of non-compliance, lies, deceit, and downright hatred for the people of Fostoria.
While I worked there, there used to be a scale tower that was on the other side of the landfill, away from the public. It was there for us to be able to weigh the trucks as they were leaving the transfer station and to verify whether or not the trash that was in the back of the trucks was CD&D or if it was MSW (municipal solid waste). While in that scale house, the transfer station was instructed that anything that was loaded into the trucks could be anything that they wanted, MSW or CD&D, but they had to try to get as much CD&D as they could on the top because I had to take pictures of it, which in turn, those pictures were to be sent to the health department and the front scale house as evidence that the majority was CD&D, which in turn, later, those photos were passed to the EPA and to the customers so they could milk them for more money.
I say that because they were crooked enough to have me take pictures only of CD&D. If the truck did not have any CD&D on the top of the municipal trash to hide it, I was to zoom in specifically on a piece of destruction material, and every day I would manipulate weights and photos to make sure that the landfill received the highest pay they could for trash that was exactly that, just trash, with unknown materials inside.
After so long of doing that, when my health started to fade, I came to the realization that if I didn’t do something about it or say something to someone, it wouldn’t be just me whose health would be fading. Most of us were already blowing out black, nasty goop out of our nose and coughing up brown and black phlegm. I thought maybe some of that would have been attributed to the asbestos that was illegally buried there without permits, but I was not diagnosed with mesothelioma. I was diagnosed with COPD, now at stage 4, and something solid in my lungs that they cannot identify and are afraid to try to remove any of because it may cut up my lungs on the way out. But it does move around in my lungs, causing me grief and difficulty breathing. So, I reported to the EPA. I gathered pictures and duplicate pictures and had them in a file that I was going to give the EPA and the customers. Suffice it to say, I was caught. I was threatened for my job and told that my NDA would not allow me to do such a thing. I later found out that if there are health problems that you have from working somewhere, an NDA does not apply.
The connection between Mr. Valerian, Mr. Nutter, and another man named Joe Frola, who happened to be general manager of the landfill at the time, is unknown by this writer, but there is a connection.
This is just the tip of the iceberg that shows the pattern that is there, that continues to happen over and over again because they can get away with it, and all because they learn it from the prior owners who are all under the same umbrella.
I think that maybe the next City Council meeting, we should all bring some water in from our faucet and ask them to drink it. I guarantee you, quick, fast, and in a hurry, they’ll refuse, and if they don’t refuse, that only goes to show you that their health is good enough from living elsewhere, that whatever they drink isn’t going to harm them like it has us.
And for those of you who think I’m living in the past and everything is different now, you’re wrong. We are supposed to learn from our mistakes in the past, not continue them, and the landfill continues to do the same things over and over again, just in a new way, hoping that we won’t catch on. The pattern continues, and I feel bad for anyone who works there right now because quite a lot, if not all of you, will most likely end up with health issues in the future.
And in my opinion, Ben Nutter has betrayed Seneca County and the people that live here. It’s no wonder that he lost his campaign.
FOSTORIA – In a recent damage control article published by the Review Times, Fostoria Mayor Don Mennel defended his decision to accept landfill toxic liquid waste while dismissing concerned citizens as irrational and emotional. Mennel’s true colors are emerging, which comes as no surprise since his term began with a lie to the public about a splash pad soak park that was supposed to open in 2024.
Mennel bypassed voters and the city council to unilaterally decide to process leachate (liquid toxic waste) at the wastewater treatment plant.
Mennel also failed to negotiate a reasonable rate for processing the liquid waste. The City of Fostoria is currently charging four cents per gallon, the cheapest rate in the area. In comparison, the City of Bowling Green charges $0.063 per gallon, and the City of Marion charges $0.045 per gallon.
Photo byThe Fostoria Free Press
In addition to the $15,000 discount granted by the City of Fostoria to Win Waste Landfill compared to the City of Marion’s rate, Win Waste is also achieving significant savings on transportation costs.
Not to be forgotten is the previous mayor’s decision to stop processing leachate in 2019. That decision was made because the city had no knowledge of what was going into the landfill or what would be in the liquid waste. Apparently, a miracle has occurred, and Mennel now claims to know everything entering the landfill—despite the lack of comprehensive leachate testing. The city continues to rely on a local water testing lab, Bojhun Labs, which has shown signs of incompetence in its testing results. Previously, Fostoria used Alloway Labs in Bowling Green, OH.
Photo byThe Fostoria Free Press
Photo byThe Fostoria Free Press
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/466611914_551306040989420_6173920035826967950_n.jpg13652048Editor-in-Chiefhttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngEditor-in-Chief2025-02-25 18:43:002025-02-25 23:21:09Fostoria Mayor on Damage Control While Calling Citizens Irrational & Emotional
“Rules are made to be broken” at least that’s what we were told when we were kids.
We heard it from all our friends, and older siblings, and we believed it.
Until our all-knowing smarter parents shot that down, put us to rights and made us understand that rules are made to be followed.
Rules are made to protect us, and rules are made because some people have done things that can be considered ignorant and silly.
So rules were made to protect us just like signs are never made unless someone has actually done the deed that caused the making of the sign.
With that being said, I want to tell you about someone, an organization, who breaks their own rules and allows others to break them too.
The Ohio EPA, and yes I know just as all of you do that these folks are not elected, they’re bureaucrats, hired under the promise of watching out for our health and wellbeing, keeping an eye on our environment and stopping all the pollution and all the toxification of our air and water etc etc.
But What I bet you don’t see, is that the EPA is not a government organization as we were led to believe. They are hired bureaucrats who can talk fancy and make you want their services. they’re given power over protecting our environment and our water and our kids and our lives but they don’t use it for that they use it to make money.
It’s a money grabbing organization that answers to no one but gives all the money they earn to their pockets and to the government officials who let them stay in power.
The EPA gets their funds from fines and fees that they charge to every company, large organization or anyone who violates their rule.
But of course they can’t fine themselves or charge themselves any fees even though they break their own rules as well.
Ask yourself a question When a company needs to get rid of waste if they don’t ask the EPA and get caught they get fined and that’s it.
And yes I know sometimes they get sued and lose a lot of money. Now lets say that same company asks the EPA for a permit to commit whatever atrocity that they’re going to commit And they receive it for a fee.
What I don’t understand is how does the EPA make rules stating that you can’t do this and you can’t do that but if you want to do those things call us and we’ll sell you a permit that allows you to do those things
So if you want to pollute call the EPA if you want to put toxic waste in the water call the EPA and get a permit.
Only as an example Win Waste Innovations. They have purchased multiple different permits and all of those permits give them allowance to do exactly what the EPA has made rules against. Such as SO2 levels, such as expansions, such as height of the trash mountain so on and so forth
It shows me that either the EPA is on the take, or they just take enough to give the landfill the opportunity to have a permit, to do exactly what the EPA has mandated that no one can do.
So I guess our friends were right when we were kids, rules are made to be broken… at least when it comes to keeping our air and water clean for our children and for their future.
What is the actual use of the EPA? why do they exist?
They might need to change their name to the Environmental Payoff Agency.
“What really burns me” and my opinion about it.
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/shutterstock_2321857931.jpg6671000Thomas Domichhttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngThomas Domich2025-02-19 13:19:472025-02-19 13:19:48“What really burns me” – OH-EPA Where rules really ARE made to be broken.
FOSTORIA – Bojun Labs conducted a basic test on the recent Win Waste Innovations Landfil leachate “spill”. The report was provided last minute to The Fostoria Free Press on 2.18.25 just hours prior to the city council meeting. Although, the short notice did not stop the spread of the report to interested citizens who spoke at the meeting.
Landfill leachate is a complex mixture of water, organic and inorganic compounds, and microorganisms that can pose environmental and health risks if not properly managed.
The report covers several key parameters relevant to wastewater or leachate, such as ammonia, COD, mercury, oil and grease, phosphorus, and TSS. These are important for assessing nutrient levels, organic content, heavy metals, and solids in the sample.
The matrix is listed as “WW” (wastewater), which aligns with leachate being a type of wastewater from landfills.
What’s Potentially Lacking:
Based on a typical landfill leachate testing profile, this report may be missing several critical parameters, depending on the regulatory requirements or the specific concerns of the site. Here are some potential gaps:
pH: Not included, but pH is a fundamental parameter for assessing the corrosivity and chemical stability of leachate.
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): This is often tested to understand the overall dissolved mineral content, which can affect treatment processes and environmental impact.
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD): While COD is included, BOD is another critical measure of biodegradable organic matter and is often required in tandem with COD.
Other Heavy Metals: The report only tests for mercury, but landfill leachate may contain other metals like lead, cadmium, chromium, arsenic, copper, zinc, and nickel, which are common in leachate and regulated under environmental laws.
Nitrogen Compounds: While ammonia is tested, other forms like nitrate, nitrite, and total nitrogen are often required to fully assess nitrogen loading.
Organic Compounds: The report does not include testing for VOCs, SVOCs, PAHs, or TPH, which are common in landfill leachate, especially from older or industrial waste sites.
Chloride, Sulfate, and Other Anions: These are often present in leachate and can impact treatment and receiving water bodies.
Toxicity Testing: There’s no mention of bioassays or toxicity tests to evaluate the potential harm to aquatic life or ecosystems.
Microbiological Testing: No testing for fecal coliforms, E. coli, or total coliforms, which could indicate biological contamination.
Emerging Contaminants: No testing for PFAS or other emerging contaminants, which are increasingly regulated in environmental samples.
The provided testing report includes several relevant parameters for wastewater/leachate analysis, such as ammonia, COD, mercury, oil and grease, phosphorus, and TSS. However, it appears to lack a comprehensive suite of tests typically required for landfill leachate, including pH, TDS, BOD, additional heavy metals, nitrogen compounds, organic compounds (VOCs, SVOCs, PAHs, TPH), chloride, sulfate, toxicity testing, microbiological indicators, and emerging contaminants. The specific tests needed depend on local regulations, the landfill’s characteristics (e.g., age, type of waste), and the intended use of the data (e.g., discharge permits, environmental impact assessments).
If this report is for landfill leachate, it may not meet all regulatory or environmental monitoring requirements. I recommend consulting the applicable local or national environmental regulations (e.g., U.S. EPA guidelines for leachate management) or working with an environmental engineer to ensure all necessary parameters are tested.
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-18-at-12.58.56 PM.png10621254Editor-in-Chiefhttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngEditor-in-Chief2025-02-19 12:41:472025-02-19 12:41:47Incomplete Testing Report Raises Concerns for City of Fostoria’s Leachate Management
The liquid waste, or “leachate,” will be transported by semi-truck and tanker. 550+ trips are estimated to move the entire 3,050,000 gallons of water.
The City of Fostoria is required to test the processed waste after filtering and treatment as it is discharged into the Portage River.
Here’s a short summary based on the information provided by City of Fostoria: 1. Payment: The city was paid at a rate of $0.04 per gallon for the storm water management. 2. Transportation: The storm water was transported to the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) using trucks. 3. Deposition: The waste was deposited at a designated dumping station at the treatment plant where it undergoes treatment. 4. Testing: The city facilitated the sampling of the storm water, which was then handed over to BoJhun for testing. Results are pending, which is typical for the sampling process.
Receipts for these services will be available after the monthly billing cycle.
The Controversy:
The City of Fostoria is currently the cheapest location for Win Waste Innovations to dump their liquid waste since Tiffin stopped accepting it. Fostoria Mayor Don Mennel is supporting the Fostoria Landfill by providing a cost-effective method for leachate processing.
How can the community trust that Win Waste Innovations did NOT purposely cause the leachate spill? After all, some employees have started the rumor online that they were “sabotaged”. I find this defense mechanism hilarious because people who are against the landfill are for environmental protection. It does not take a genius to understand the effects of a leachate spill.
Some Fostoria locals are hoping that the money received by Win Waste will potentially go towards funding the remaining $1 million for the incomplete 2024 Splashpad Soakpark project.
This project was announced one week prior to the Mayoral election by current Mayor Don Mennel with the assistance of the City’s undocumented partnership with the ‘unofficial’ Public Relations Officer (Scanner Media), a news outlet with 30,000+ followers and a special seat within city government. The City embarrassingly underbudged the project by $1 Million or nearly 100%. In my opinion this hype was nothing but a stunt pulled by Mennel to get elected. If outsiders would like to know how NOT to run a city government, I encourage you to research deeper. For now, the children of Fostoria continue to wait for their soak park.
FOSTORIA – I want to set the record straight by saying that the Fostoria outerbanks Landfill changes names faster than Mayor Don Mennel sucks up liquid waste when money is involved.
WinWaste Innovations, formerly known as Sunny Farms Landfill is owned and operated by Tunnel Hill Partners, which is owned by investment firm Macquarie Group. For this reason, I have chosen to title this article with the current cover being used.
Discraced former Seneca County Commissioner Ben Nutter, was caught receiving campaign funding from the landfill operator. This is where the buck started with the desecration of our land with out-of-state trash.
Former landfill employee Thomas Domich reached out to the Fostoria Free Press and asked for the following letter to be published:
Fostoria Free Press,
In response to the previous back and forth between Win waste innovations And the Seneca county health district president.
___________________________________________
Seneca county health district president,
In your response to WIN Waste Innovations.
All the lies and cover ups that I’ve seen while employed there are all the same lies and cover-ups that I see now. Through all the different owners the pattern is the same.
Through illness and sickness of my own and others, inaction of the Ohio EPA and former health district representatives, It is wholly refreshing to see a health district president who gives a damn and really wants the landfill to do better.
We all know that it cannot be shut down without major issues but it can be set to right for future usage of the landfill.
Now comes the only question, what happens to those who are already sick, been given unwanted prognosis? Or those who have already passed along in this life.
What can be done to make all of the landfill owners over the years stand accountable for the landfills disregard of laws regulations rules and basic common human decency?
And before they throw out the same lies they always do “we didn’t own it back then” we all know that that is not true, every single owner of that landfill since the day I started working there until now, all fall under the same umbrella it’s just the way they run from responsibility and to continue profiting for a much bigger owner.
I would love to know what we can do now to make them show some responsibility and some action to those families that have lost their loved ones already and those that are going to lose their loved ones soon.
How do we help the suffering of the families, for me, I just want them to take responsibility for their actions, admit to the multiple ownership under one umbrella, admit the lies, the deceit the theft, and the general bull snot that they have been spewing from their mouths for years.
I personally want nothing from that landfill, maybe make the next six or eight months of what’s left of my life more comfortable for my wife and children who are going to lose their father and husband, pay the medical bills that are upcoming that are going to be more than my wife could ever afford to pay in her lifetime caused by you.
Maybe that’s what you can do for my surviving family, and all the others that are going through the same thing and suffering the same way, to take care of them as well. They’re going to need it it’s a little late for us now but they will definitely need to help I hope the landfill and all of its owners, and bosses understand that there’s a place for them when they pass I know this because I’m cleaning off a seat for them when I get there it’ll be nice and cushy.
Upon furhter followup I have uncovered that test results for the liquid waste was not tested.
This morning, we received an email response to a public records request from the city’s law director. The email included… “After consulting with our various departments, I have learned that we do not have testing results yet, nor have we received any payments yet.”
After learning this information it is apparent that the City of Fostoria & Mayor Mennel did not act in the best faith of Fostorians, further reducing trust in current leadership.
The planned method of transport of the leachate & storm water is still unconfirmed.
I encourage anyone concerned about this matter to speak at the next City Council Meeting next Tuesday February 18th, 2025 .
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/shutterstock_2436761063-1.jpg6651000Editor-in-Chiefhttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngEditor-in-Chief2025-02-11 23:28:412025-02-11 23:28:42BREAKING: City of Fostoria Agreed to Take WinWaste Leachate Without Test Results
