The Clarion County Board of Commissioners were surprised earlier this year to learn the county has $868,000 in a “landfill closing” account and somewhat more surprised when the state Department of Environmental Protection and the legislature said the county can spend the money on environmental and other projects.

  Farmington Township supervisors also were surprised by the developments concerning the landfill closing funds, especially since there is a landfill in their township and it is scheduled to close this year.

Farmington Township supervisors Jan. 23 said they believe the landfill closing fund money should go to Farmington Township and later agreed to have the township’s attorney on environmental matters, Richard S. Ehmann of Pittsburgh , write a letter to the county commissioners concerning the issue.

But Hartle said the county’s hands are somewhat tied on the issue.

“The DEP wanted the county to approve a resolution that said the landfill closing fund will be used only for (DEP-approved) Growing Greener projects. Until that resolution was passed, the funds were not going to be released,” said Hartle.

The commissioners have acknowledged Farmington Township ’s request for the funding, but it appears the funds will be used throughout the county.

“From what we’ve seen of their ( Farmington Township ) budgets, the township has over the years received a sizable chunk of money through its host municipality fee,” said Hartle. “Sometimes there was as much as $250,000 to $290,000 a year. Over the years, it looks like the township took in $4 million or $5 million.”

Hartle said the resolution approved by the county must be reviewed by DEP and if that agency approved the resolution, the process of releasing the money for Growing Greener projects will begin.

Farmington Township-based County Landfill Inc., owned by Allied Waste, said last year it will close the facility this year.

When CLI announced its plan to close, Farmington Township advised DEP of what it believes are inadequacies in CLI’s closing plan, including the amounts of the bonds needed to ensure proper closure occurs.