Residents in Medina County are raising questions about possible health concerns near the Montville Landfill, as community members continue sharing self-reported cancer and serious illness information online.
At this point, no public health agency has confirmed a cancer cluster or linked reported illnesses to the landfill.
However, Ohio EPA records show the closed landfill has a long regulatory history and remains under post-closure environmental oversight. A 2004 Ohio EPA five-year review said the landfill historically accepted liquid and drummed wastes from industrial sources and that leachate from the site had contained volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. The same review said leachate had previously caused violations of water-quality criteria in tributaries to the west branch of the Rocky River.
The selected remedy for the site included landfill capping, a passive methane venting system, leachate collection, groundwater and surface water monitoring, and fencing around the landfill.
More recent documents show that oversight is still ongoing. In a May 2026 review letter, Ohio EPA said data from downgradient monitoring wells showed elevated sodium and chloride. The agency said it was unclear whether the source was onsite, such as the landfill, detention pond or other surface water infrastructure, or offsite, such as road salt from a nearby highway. Ohio EPA requested additional testing, including leachate, surface water and bromide analysis to help identify the source.
A 2025 explosive gas monitoring report submitted to the Medina County Health Department and Ohio EPA said explosive gases were not detected above the explosive gas threshold limit during a September 2025 monitoring event.
Ohio EPA has also flagged issues in recent years involving the landfill’s explosive gas monitoring plan, including deficiencies related to property boundaries, possible migration pathways, sub-grade utilities and residential lines.
The key question now is whether public health officials will review the self-reported illness data and determine whether there is a statistically significant pattern. Environmental records support continued monitoring and community concern, but they do not prove a cancer cluster or causation.
Medina County Cancer Awareness & Support has an online group dedicated to this research and is taking more information from residents by submitting this Google form. The group also has a Google Drive with dozens of documents available to read.
