WESTVILLE -- Franklin County wants to expand its regional landfill by 600 acres, and the environmental impact will be discussed at a public meeting May 22.

The county's Solid Waste Management Authority intends to buy 326 acres from two homeowners north of Route 20 and 261 acres from two more owners south of Route 20.

The landfill is situated in the towns of Westville and Constable. One of the properties that may be purchased is in Constable, and the other three are in Westville.

Property values to the west of the landfill will be impacted by the proposed expansion, and Westville will have to rezone the area, according to preliminary information.

At the same time, the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is investigating whether a brick building and barns on an abandoned farm on one of the properties meet requirements for the state and national Registers of Historic Places.

SIZE UNDETERMINED

Brian Stewart, the attorney who represents the authority, said the agency included all four tracts in its draft environmental-impact statement but might not acquire it all.

He said that until public comments are taken and the final plan is drawn up, the authority is unsure how much property it might buy.

The plan says the authority would use 325 acres for proposed expansion and the rest for problem mitigation, according to a draft document posted on the Franklin County Web site.

A draft environmental-impact statement determines whether there would be negative impacts from the proposed expansion.

PUBLIC INPUT

Now, it's the public's turn to comment on any concerns.

A public-scoping meeting is set for 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 22, at the Franklin County Courthouse.

The public is allowed to speak on specific impacts the proposed land purchase and expansion might have on, for example, the land, water, air and plant life in the area around the current landfill footprint.

Other areas that are open to question are possible impacts to agricultural, historical and archeological resources; open space and recreation opportunities; transportation; energy questions; public-health concerns; noise, odor or views; and the impact on the local community.