KERSEY — Advanced Disposal Inc., is working on the difficult process of returning to business after the loss of an employee two weeks ago.
William Pierce, 49, of DuBois, was working in the Greentree Landfill in Kersey on Feb. 8 with four others when dirt and trash shifted, causing a landslide. Pierce, who was operating a large compactor, was buried under the trash. His body was found two days later in the compactor’s cab after a large-scale rescue operation. The other workers were able to escape.
Mike Nighbor, vice president of marketing and communications for Advanced Disposal, said Advanced Disposal, the owner of Greentree, has had initial visual inspections done at all of its landfills since the slope failure at Greentree and it is putting additional safety measures in place.
Nighbor said at this point he doesn’t know when Greentree will begin accepting trash again since that date will be determined by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The DEP is still investigating, he said.
In the meantime, trash will continue to be sent to other area landfills, some owned by Advanced Disposal and some owned by other companies, according to Nighbor.
Representatives of DEP and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) went to the landfill when the issue occurred and are continuing to work to determine the cause and effects of the accident.
The DEP is working to determine the impact of the trash-slide on ground and surface water, Melanie Williams, the community relations coordinator for the Northwest Region of the DEP, told The Era previously. Steps were also taken by the landfill to place waste on a separate, lined portion of the landfill.
OSHA Deputy Regional Director for the U.S. Labor Department JoAnna Hawkins told The Era previously that OSHA has six months to complete its investigation.
