Erin Spinka

Sorrento, La. -- BFI Waste Systems of Louisiana, Sorrento, La., has petitioned the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to reclassify leachate at its Colonial Landfill in Sorrento from hazardous waste to solid waste. BFI said in a statement to the DEQ that the Colonial Landfill manages leachate in accordance with the Clean Water Act, and therefore the leachate should be deemed nonhazardous. The company is hoping to treat leachate in its onsite sedimentation and oxidation pond, rather than shipping it for disposal to a treatment facility in St. John the Baptist Parish.

The DEQ will test samples of the leachate during the next several months to determine whether any hazardous material is present. The DEQ will announce its decision on the request in a year, at which time the public will be allowed to attend hearings on the decision.