Life at the Landfill

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One of the first garbage trucks of the morning drives downhill to the active cell at the Athens-Hocking Reclamation Center in Nelsonville, Ohio on January 22, 2010. After heavy rains the day before, many of the larger trucks had a hard time braking at the bottom of the hill, a hazard for both the drivers and the workers on the ground.

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A flock of crows takes off after feeding on the active cell at the landfill. Due to environmental regulations, only 1/4 acre of refuse can be exposed at any time, all other waste must be under at least six inches of soil. Run by Kilbarger Construction, the family-run site is one of only a handful in Ohio that are not owned by large corporations.

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Bill Kramer, an employee of Wood County Waste in Parkersburg, West Virginia, folds a tarp after emptying his truck at the active cell. The landfill receives refuse from over 20 Ohio counties.

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Don Alan, left, of Lancaster, Ohio, has been operating his compactor at the landfill since the site opened in 1983. Dave Witham, right, of Athens, Ohio, has been working on site for 18 years. “All these years later I still wish I had finished school," says Witham.”

$Don Alan, left, of Lancaster, Ohio, has been operating his compactor at the landfill since the site opened in 1983. Dave Witham, right, of Athens, Ohio, has been working on site for 18 years. “All these years later I still wish I had finished school,\$ $Don Alan, left, of Lancaster, Ohio, has been operating his compactor at the landfill since the site opened in 1983. Dave Witham, right, of Athens, Ohio, has been working on site for 18 years. “All these years later I still wish I had finished school,\$

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Mark Ruof, head engineer at the landfill, dials in his level as he and his team survey the area. Mark’s crew spends most days finding elevations and making sure that the grading of the hills is done to EPA specifications.

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Alan operates his compactor in an active cell on the edge of the site across from exposed rock. Before becoming a landfill, the site was a rock mine, and signs still remain of the area’s past.

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A truck leaves the landfill early in the morning on January 22, 2009, turning on to state route 33 towards Nelsonville, Ohio. The drivers prefer to leave when it is dark, as it is easier to see oncoming traffic around the turns leading to the landfill. The site is already 25 years into its rated lifespan, and is expected to be full around 2060.

Run by Kilbarger Construction, the family-run Athens-Hocking reclamation center is one of only a handful in Ohio not owned by large corporations. The landfill receives refuse from over 20 Ohio counties and as far as Parkersburg, West Virginia. For every $500,000 spent disposing recyclable materials at the landfill, an average of $1 million could be earned if the same materials were recycled instead. Before becoming a landfill, the site was a rock mine, and signs still remain of the area’s past. The site is already 25 years into its rated lifespan, and is expected to be full around 2060.