Rumpke Sanitary Landfill, more colloquially known as Mount Rumpke or Rumpke Mountain, is one of the largest landfills in the United States located in Colerain Township, Hamilton County, north of Cincinnati, Ohio. It is owned by Rumpke Consolidated Companies, Inc. and occupies over 230 acres (93 ha) of a 440-acre (180 ha) tract of land that the company owns.[1] The landfill receives 2 million tons (2×109 kg) of household and industrial wastes annually.[2] In 1996, Rumpke agreed to pay a one-million-dollar fine after a large landslide at Mount Rumpke.[1] In 2005, Rumpke was permitted to expand Rumpke Sanitary Landfill by 300 acres (120 ha), and it is expected to be below maximum capacity until 2022.[2]
Mount Rumpke is 1,045 feet (319 m) above sea level and the highest point in Hamilton County, Ohio, clearly visible from U.S. Route 27. 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.
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In the 1930s, Barney and Bill Rumpke collected garbage from their neighbors for free in the neighborhood of Carthage in Cincinnati . Most of the waste was food scraps, which they fed to their hogs 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 acres (0.93 km2) of land.[1]
In 1996, lightning struck Mount Rumpke, causing a massive landslide.[1] The north face of the mound cracked, then fell forward, exposing 15 acres (6.1 ha) of buried waste.[2] The crack was filled in and Rumpke paid one million dollars as a fine. Attorney General Betty Montgomery called the incident, "the largest trash landslide in Ohio history".[1]
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 million cubic feet per day (420×103 m3/d) of landfill gas, making it the largest recovery operation of its kind in the world. Distributed by Duke Energy Corporation, the natural gas energy from the natural gas from the three facilities combined is enough to power 25,000 homes and businesses.[3] 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.
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 Department of Environmental Services are involved in trying to resolve the issue.