Trash clash going to trial

SANDUSKY — It's a showdown that pits two former partners — Erie and Huron counties — on opposing sides in a court case that could cost residents in one county or the other $1 million or more. A lawsuit about trash goes to trial in Erie County Common Pleas Court beginning Wednesday in front of visiting Judge Janet Burnside that will be conducted remotely. Erie County alleges Huron County breached a contract and cost its residents $1.5 million or more when it stopped sending refuse to the county landfill in Milan in March 2018. The five-year contract was renewed once, and there was still about 18 months left on the contract extension when Huron County officials cut Erie County out. Up to that point, it was expected the contract was going to be renewed. Here's how it worked The Huron County Landfill closed years ago, but trash haulers from across Huron County still bring waste there and dump it at a transfer station. County workers then load the unloaded trash onto trailers, and for more than eight years, it was hauled to the Erie County-owned landfill in Milan. Huron County contracted with Erie County to haul the trash from the transfer station on Townline Road 131 in Willard beginning in 2009. Huron County officials claim numerous contract terms were violated, and they had no choice but to seek services elsewhere. But their counterparts in Erie County contend there's no evidence any EPA violations occurred, and there was no warning or reasonable explanation from Huron County for why it ended the arrangement. In its lawsuit filed in April 2018, Erie County contends Huron County breached the terms of the contract. Erie County's losses by the abrupt cutoff are estimated at $1.5 million. In response to the lawsuit, Huron County contends Erie County breached the agreement on 37 different days between Dec. 14, 2017, and March 31, 2018, by leaving trash on the floor of the transfer station. Erie County denied that claim in a subsequent court filing. Huron County opted for a different trucking company to haul the trash and decided to use a commercial landfill in Richland County, at a higher tonnage rate than was being charged by Erie County. Questions were raised about whether it made sense for haulers to collect trash and then dump it at the transfer station, where it would have to be gathered yet again and dumped in the trailers to be hauled away. No reconciliation There also were efforts to reach a revised agreement — whereby haulers in Huron County would skip the transfer station altogether and instead haul waste to the nearest landfill, a common arrangement. That meant the private landfill in Richland County and the landfill in Milan both would receive waste directly from haulers, and the cost to maintain the transfer station could be eliminated entirely. Erie County officials suggested that resolution to save on the labor cost at the transfer station, but it was rejected by Huron County. It's not clear why Huron County opted against that alternative for waste disposal. Commissioners, administrators and others from both counties were deposed previously, but it's not known who will be called to testify. There is no witness list on file with the court. The trial is scheduled for three days, through Feb. 19.