Sandy Simpson knows the dangers of sharing small county roads with large trucks. Several weeks ago, Simpson, a bus driver for the Anderson Community School Corp., had the driver-side mirror of her bus ripped off in a collision with a rendering truck while traveling on County Road 600 North.

“I was over as far as I could go,” she said. “Then he just hit me. He hit the mirror so hard it busted my window out. I wouldn’t want to go through that again.”

With the prospect of the Mallard Lake Landfill beginning operation, Simpson, along with several other drivers in the districts surrounding the property, is concerned about the increased truck traffic. They worry the same accident may happen again, or maybe even worse.

Jim Waymire, who has been a bus driver for 26 years, said he has always been concerned with county roads being too small even when passing cars. But with the prospect of a landfill, he is increasingly worried about a small section of 300 North between 200 East and 300 East where the road narrows to a mere 16 feet.

“I measured it,” he said. “A bus, mirror to mirror, is 9 feet 8 inches and that only gives (trash trucks) about 6 feet not to hit my mirrors.”

According to Helen Wean, former president for the Killbuck Concerned Citizens Association, the county roads surrounding Killbuck Elementary and the proposed landfill site measure no more than 17.5 feet across. “Semi truck traffic with the landfill will increase,” she said. “The safety of the children has always been a concern.”

Jeff Baker, bus driver for approximately 21 years, said he is especially worried about the semis. “That’s worse,” he said. “It’s only 1,200 feet from the driveway (of Killbuck Elementary) to the entrance (of Mallard Lake Landfill). I know they have to put (the landfill) someplace, but this isn’t the best place to put it.”

Some 13 or 14 buses traverse the area near the proposed landfill site, transporting children to and from Killbuck Elementary, East Side Middle School and Highland High School, according to Rich Dickerson, personnel manager and director of transportation for Anderson Community School Corp.

Dickerson said he worries increased truck traffic will be hazardous to the safety of the students and drivers. “We couldn’t re-route buses,” he said. “There’s no way we could get around this. With more larger vehicles on the road, the tighter it gets. I don’t see any good options for us for transportation. This is a big concern for me.”

Ralph Reed and his son, Mark Reed, owners of JM Corp. that owns the proposed landfill property, said the landfill should not affect the safety of the students or drivers.

“Those buses are perfectly safe elsewhere, why are they at risk on this road?” asked Mark Reed. “(Buses) pass farm trucks, trash trucks, large trucks and each other every single day quite well. Why suddenly are they at risk around the landfill? These roads are no different from the rest of the county.”

Ralph Reed admitted he believes the roads will need to be widened, not just to accommodate the landfill but for general traffic, but added there will only be between 30 and 40 trucks passing by the school in an eight-hour period.

“You’re not going to have hundreds of trash trucks,” said Mark Reed, adding also the landfill will be in operation from 8 a.m. until approximately 5 p.m. and the increased traffic shouldn’t overlap school hours. “Trash is picked up at 7:30 a.m. and trucks won’t be rolling in until 9.”

If the landfill does open and problems with roads arise, County Commissioner John Richwine said Madison County is already strapped for money and it would be difficult, if not impossible, to fund improvements to roads in the area outside scheduled maintenance.

“A special situation like this would not convince the commissioners to move more funds from other projects out there,” said Richwine. “Hypothetically, if things got to the point where the landfill will go in, Madison County doesn’t have the money for those improvements.”

Along with opposing increased traffic Judi Ketring, principal at Killbuck Elementary, said there also are concerns about the children’s health.

“I see a lot of safety concerns,” she said. “The rodent and bird droppings that will be on our playground and the rodents themselves. The wind whips through here and I’m sure there will be a trash problem.”

With the elementary playground only 600 to 700 hundred feet away from the proposed landfill’s entrance, Ketring sees the possibility of sanitary risks. “We’d have to consider even allowing children on the playground (if there were bird droppings),” she said. “Our main concern is safety.”

Students, parents and teachers agree.

“I had my third-graders research landfills,” said Amy Shepherd, teacher at Killbuck. “They found (the landfill will) attract rodents and bird droppings near the school.”

Jeff Kline, parent to first-grader Madalyn Kline, admitted he is also concerned about health risks. “I don’t see any benefit,” he said. “Kids find dump sites appealing and will want to explore.”

Madalyn is worried about the potential smell. “I think it would smell bad when kids go out to recess,” she said.

Wean said the KCCA believes these health risks will not only affect the children, but nearby residents. She said she is especially concerned with increased trash at the school and along the roads.

“Eighty percent of the time, the wind is blowing towards the school,” she said. “There’s no way to stop trash from blowing off the trucks and no way to stop the dust.”

According to Mark Reed, the landfill will only have a 300-foot-by-300-foot cell exposed at a time and federal regulations call for it to be covered with 6 inches of soil every day.

“A landfill is not an easy food supply,” he said. “On a working site, there are no rodents. The heavy machinery and noisy equipment (deters) them. At the end of the day, there is no exposed trash.”

Wean didn’t buy it. “Daily cover doesn’t stop the rats, it doesn’t. It’s a feeding ground.”

As for birds, Mark Reed only chuckled. “Birds are everywhere, not just on landfills. Again, it’s not an easy food supply. (Mounds State Park) attracts more birds than the landfill will.”

Reed also said that landfill regulations address the appearance of rodents. “If we have a rodent problem, we are required to fix it.”

JM Corp. also will be required to stop excess dust and blowing trash. “We will put up portable fences that can be moved and screens to catch blowing paper,” Reed said. “But if you look at the side of the road now, there’s trash just blowing around. What is going to be done about that?”

JM Corp. has invested approximately 27 years and more than $3.5 million to begin landfill operations, but lawsuits filed by the KCCA and Anderson Community School Corp. impeded progress.

Although the KCCA and school corporation dropped out of all lawsuits, both can still intervene to voice their concerns and opposition at future hearings.

“We are opposed to the landfill,” said Dr. Tim Long, Anderson Community School Corp. superintendent. “We intend to continue our legal approach to see it not being there.”

Through the years, Wean said the KCCA has spent between $500,000 and $750,000 fighting JM Corp.

The school corporation has spent approximately $145,000, but has not been financially involved since 1998, according to Kevin Brown, business manager and treasurer for ACS. “We have had minor expenditures after that, but nothing significant,” he said. “We are still involved, but not financially involved.”

With so much time and money being spent by both parties, why continue to fight?

Wean said the KCCA members believe everything they have done has been worth it to keep the landfill away.

“There are too many issues involved with this,” she said. “Water pollution, truck traffic, health issues and it will lower property values. It’s just the wrong place, period.”

Anderson Community School Corp. said it will continue voicing its opposition to help protect students.

“The school corporation regards Killbuck as a very viable building and an important building in giving instruction at the elementary level,” said Long. “With the health and safety concerns, we are opposed.”

For the Reeds, it comes down to business. “Regardless if this is a landfill, it is a business,” said Ralph Reed. “The only way to get our money back is to have the landfill in operation.”