By Liz Oakes
The Cincinnati Enquirer

This aerial photo shows the Rumpke landfill, looking south with U.S. 27 on the right. A 95-acre expansion could begin by fall, now that the company has cleared violations at its Brown County site. The Cincinnati Enquirer/ERNEST COLEMAN

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP - A $475,000 settlement between Rumpke Consolidated Cos. and state regulators expected to be announced today could clear the way for work to begin this fall on the company's long-planned 95-acre landfill expansion.

Last week, Rumpke agreed to pay the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency after regulators found that another landfill the company owns in Brown County had "significant" violations, according to state officials.

Violations included blowing trash, inadequate soil cover, dirty water discharged into a creek and too few inspections, the agency said.

About $75,000 of the settlement will go toward buffering White Oak Creek in Brown County.

The agreement was reached Friday, one day after state regulators gave final approval to two air permits Rumpke needs to proceed with its expansion application.

"They have to show they're in significant compliance with one solid-waste facility to expand or get a new solid-waste permit at another," said Heather Lauer, an OEPA spokeswoman.

"This could really have slowed it down for them."

Settling the compliance questions will "help facilitate the process of expanding our site," said Amanda Wilson, a Rumpke spokeswoman.

The permit approvals beat the date that tighter federal air-quality regulations kicked in by five days.

Rumpke had applied for the air permits two years ago, but as the June 15 deadline drew near, "they wanted some action," said Brad Miller, permits and enforcement section supervisor at the Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services.

The company says it wasn't planning for the new rules.

"We have not anticipated the requirements and moved ahead in advance to not have to meet a certain regulation," said Larry Riddle, Rumpke Sanitary Landfill manager.

The landfill operator and trash hauler still needs two more permits - for solid waste and wastewater - before expansion work can begin, according to state and company officials.

Riddle said that could be as early as this fall.

Lauer said she expects hearings on the final permits to be held sometime in August.

E-mail loakes@enquirer.com