A representative from Rumpke Waste and Recycling’s Medora Landfill recently came before the Jackson County Commissioners to address complaints of debris along U.S. 50.

Commissioners President Matt Reedy said county Council President Dave Hall recently called him to say he was following an Atomic Transport truck up the highway and there was plastic coming off of the truck and onto the roadway.

Atomic Transport is a third-party hauling company that subcontracts drivers to Rumpke sites.

Commissioner Drew Markel said he had received an email and three phone calls regarding debris on the highway.

During the commissioners meeting, Medora Landfill Manager Brad Marlow said Rumpke takes the issue very seriously, and third-party haulers might be contributing to the problem.

“I don’t think it’s fair to say every piece down the roadway is related to us,” he said. “We want to be a good neighbor. I’ve seen it. I travel that road every day. Recently, I’ve seen an uptick through there.”

Marlow gave two reasons for why there was more debris on the highway: Employee turnover and items thawing on trucks as temperatures warm up.

During the winter, Marlow said materials can freeze inside trailers and stay there until it thaws.

High employee turnover is an issue for both third-party haulers and Rumpke, and Marlow said no matter how well you train employees, there are still some who don’t follow procedures.

Marlow said Rumpke is “doubling down” on retraining the company’s drivers and telling them to make sure material is off of their trucks before they go to another site. He said third-party hauling companies have been notified to tell drivers to double-check for debris on their trucks.

While Marlow said Rumpke is taking steps to mitigate the issue, he said “it will take awhile to see the fruits” of the precautions they’re taking.

Markel said debris along the highway is “definitely an issue,” and it takes a lot of people to call to complain to commissioners.

He said he drove along U.S. 50 before the meeting and noticed an abundance of white plastic along the road.

Marlow said he thought Markel was seeing more of the white plastic because it’s more visible than other forms of debris.

“At the end of the day, we want to be a good neighbor, and we will continue to really focus on this going forward,” Marlow said.

In an email to The Tribune, Rumpke Senior Communications Coordinator Hillary Ladig said the particular stretch of highway that was brought to the company’s attention is the stretch of U.S. 50 between imi Aggregates at 3209 U.S. 50, Freetown, and the Medora junction on State Road 235.

“As Brad mentioned during the meeting, we take this concern very seriously and have addressed the matter with our team, subcontractors and third-party haulers,” she said. “We will continue to monitor the situation and continue emphasizing proper cleaning before leaving the site and eliminating the potential for wind-blown debris.”

Ladig said it’s important for customers to properly prepare material for disposal and to bag trash before placing it on the curb.

“This helps keep containers clean, lessen odors and reduce the potential for litter,” she said.