Rumpke Sanitary Landfill, more colloquially known as Mount Rumpke or Rumpke Mountain, is one of the largest landfill

Landfill

A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...

s in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 located in Colerain Township

Colerain Township, Hamilton County, Ohio

Colerain Township is one of the twelve townships of Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 60,144 people in the township, more than in any other township in Ohio.-Geography:...

, Hamilton County

Hamilton County, Ohio

As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...

, north of Cincinnati, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

. It is owned by Rumpke Consolidated Companies, Inc. and occupies over 230 acres (93.1 ha) of a 440 acres (178.1 ha) tract of land that the company owns. The landfill receives 2 million tons (2 kg) of household and industrial waste

Waste

Waste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly...

s annually. In 1996, Rumpke agreed to pay a one-million-dollar fine after a large landslide at Mount Rumpke. In 2005, Rumpke was permitted to expand Rumpke Sanitary Landfill by 300 acres (121.4 ha), and it is expected to be below maximum capacity until 2022.

Mount Rumpke is 1045 feet (318.5 m) above sea level

Sea level

Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...

 and the highest point in Hamilton County, Ohio

Hamilton County, Ohio

As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...

, clearly visible from U.S. Route 27

U.S. Route 27

U.S. Route 27 is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne, Indiana...

. It is sometimes claimed that it is the highest point in Ohio, but in fact there are higher elevations in many Ohio counties. According to the company's web site, the Rumpke Sanitary Landfill is located at 3800 Struble Road, at approximately 39°16'22.08" N / 84°35'51.50"W.

History

In the 1930s, Barney and Bill Rumpke collected garbage

Food waste

Food waste or food loss is food that is discarded or lost uneaten. As of 2011, 1.3 billion tons of food, about one third of the global food production, are lost or wasted annually. Loss and wastage occurs on all steps in the food supply chain...

 from their neighbors for free in the neighborhood of Carthage in Cincinnati . Most of the waste was food scraps, which they fed to their hog

Domestic pig

The domestic pig is a domesticated animal that traces its ancestry to the wild boar, and is considered a subspecies of the wild boar or a distinct species in its own right. It is likely the wild boar was domesticated as early as 13,000 BC in the Tigris River basin...

s on their hog farm. Eventually, officials told them that it was unsanitary, so they stopped feeding the garbage to the pigs, but their neighbors wanted them to continue to remove their garbage. Therefore, they sold their hogs and charged money to take the garbage away, creating their trash business. The Rumpke Landfill started in 1945 and has expanded today to occupy over 230 acre (0.9307778 km²) of land.

In 1996, lightning

Lightning

Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...

 struck Mount Rumpke, causing a massive landslide. The north face of the mound cracked, then fell forward, exposing 15 acres (6.1 ha) of buried waste. The crack was filled in and Rumpke paid one million dollars as a fine. Attorney General Betty Montgomery

Betty Montgomery

Betty Montgomery is an American politician from the state of Ohio. A Republican, she formerly served as Ohio State Auditor.-Prosecutor:...

 called the incident, "the largest trash landslide in Ohio history".

Landfill gas

Landfill gas

Landfill gas is a complex mix of different gases created by the action of microorganisms within a landfill.-Production:Landfill gas production results from chemical reactions and microbes acting upon the waste as the putrescible materials begins to break down in the landfill...

 recovery

Three methane gas recovery facilities, owned by Montauk Energy Capital, operate on the landfill. The first plant opened in 1986, then the second opened in 1995, and the third opened in 2007. These facilities convert the methane gas into natural gas. The plants can recover about 15 Mcuft/d of landfill gas

Landfill gas

Landfill gas is a complex mix of different gases created by the action of microorganisms within a landfill.-Production:Landfill gas production results from chemical reactions and microbes acting upon the waste as the putrescible materials begins to break down in the landfill...

, making it the largest recovery operation of its kind in the world. Distributed by Duke Energy Corporation

Duke Energy

Duke Energy , headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an energy company with assets in the United States, Canada and Latin America.-Overview:...

, the natural gas energy from the natural gas from the three facilities combined is enough to power 25,000 homes and businesses.
Montauk Energy Capital is 91.5% owned by Hoskens Consolidated Investments (HCI) a private equity holding company in South Africa. Their focus is taking controlling stakes in significant businesses with their own management. HCI has interests in Gaming Hotels and Leisure, Media and broadcasting, Transport, Food & Beverage, Services & Technology, Vehicle Component Manufacturing, Property & Exhibitions, Energy, Mining, Clothing & Textiles. The Energy segment of their business is relatively small and includes gas operations at the Rumpke Landfill which did not show a profit in 2008 or 2009.

Elevated temperatures

In August 2009, Rumpke reported elevated temperatures at some of their methane recovery wells. This increased rate of oxidation has increased citizen complaints of odors in the area.

Montauk Energy, Rumpke, Ohio EPA and the Hamilton County

Hamilton County, Ohio

As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...

Department of Environmental Services are involved in trying to resolve the issue.