The Iron Valley Landfill was closed temporarily after a fire this past December. Lawrence-Scioto Solid Waste Management District Coordinator Dan Palmer said he was notified last week by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency that Iron Valley was closing for good.

“The EPA reviewed the situation and said the landfill will remain closed,” Palmer said. “I am getting calls already from people about what to do with waste from construction and demolition (C and D).”

Palmer said the landfill’s closing could cause an increase in illegal dumping in Lawrence County.

Since Iron Valley was the only place in Lawrence County to dispose of C and D, Palmer said he has referred people to the Big Run Landfill at 1837 River Cities Drive or Green Valley Landfill at 100 Addington Road, both in Ashland.

“People are telling me they will go dump out in the county instead of driving to Ashland,” Palmer said. “There are no landfills in Lawrence or Scioto counties, so the closest ones are in Ashland and it gives people two possible places to dispose of C and D. We have worked so hard to clean up Lawrence County and we need to keep working to keep it clean.”

Palmer urges anyone who witnesses illegal dumping or locates an illegal dump site to call the district office at 740-532-1231. Green Valley can be reached by calling 606-928-0239. Big Run can be contacted at 606-929-9340.

“Ohio is getting very strict on open dumping, open burning and littering,” he said. “The number of people who open dump in this county is atrocious.”