Reaction to a potential waste facility outside of Hennessey drew ire from inside its town hall.

“I see nothing positive about this for our town and our neighbors on the outlines of the town limits,” said Hennessey Utilities Authority Trustee Bert Gritz.

Then all five trustees approved his motion for their attorney to find someone to represent the town to protest against an application by Centennial Solids Control LLC, 169001 E. 670 Road, Hennessey.

Vice Mayor John Peach and Trustees Harold Shaw, David Jones and Gritz received applause and thankyou’s from about 20 home and landowners at the meeting. Most of them live northeast and southeast of Hennessey.

That’s because Centennial is making an application before the state Corporation Commission for seven waste management pits in this area: “E/2 E/2 NW/4 SW/4, NE/4 SW/4, Northern 100 feet of the SE/4 SW/4, and the Northern 100 feet of the NE/4 SW/4 SW/4 of Section 5, Township 19 North, Range 6 West I.M., Kingfisher County, Oklahoma.”

“Property consists of approximately 51.76 acres, and applicant (Centennial) is the surface landowner.”

What Did Centennial Want from Town?

Centennial had apparently wanted the town to let the company off the hook. That’s because it planned to have its “commercial solid waste storage facility” so it could be built 2.3 miles on the north side of town.

However, a state law requires that it be three miles away from a municipality and the tenor of the meeting indicated that wouldn’t happen.

“It may just be temporary, but they will have to have a road permit,” said Kingfisher County Commissioner Mike Sparks from the audience.

“And I can guarantee you that it will be refused,” he said.

Tuesday Court Hearing

The legal process requires Centennial to get past Judge Keith Thomas in courtroom E on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the Corporation Commission before it could go before the commissioners.

Court times are listed as 8:30 a.m. on each judge’s schedule and the Hennessey case is listed as the eighth case for Judge Thomas that day.

Attorneys representing concerned property owners and the Hennessey Utilities Authority are scheduled to attend that hearing.

Hearings “are typically held at the Will Rogers Memorial Office Building in Oklahoma City at 2401 N. Lincoln Blvd,” according to the Corporation Commission’s site.

“However, some hearings are conducted remotely via Zoom or Scopia.”

Check online at the Corporation Commission, or call those offices (405-5212331), or check at Hennessey Town Hall for more information.

Contact Legislators

From the audience, Dr. David Matousek and Sparks suggested that those concerned should contact State Senators Chuck Hall (chuck.hall@oksenate.gov) or Darcy Jech (darcy.jech@oksenate.gov) or State Representative Mike Dobrinski (mike.dobrinkski@okhouse. gov).

Property Purchased in August

Sooner Solid Solutions LLC and Centennial Solids Control LLC purchased land (S5 T19N RO6W S2 NW L3,4) on Aug. 5, 2025, according to online county court records.

Todd Vaverka is listed as the “easement” seller of that property. It also shows that Vaverka granted a quit claim deed to Sooner Solid Solution LLC on that same date for the land at S5 T19N RO6W SW Partial.

List of Disposal Items

“Besides accepting disposal of water-based drilling fluids and cuttings, and salt-contaminated soils as authorized by OAC 165:109-1(f)(6)(A), Applicant (Centennial) proposes, as a variance to OAC 165:10–91(f)(6(A),and OAC 165:107~24, to accept, manage and dispose of other non-hazardous waste materials subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission and exempt from regulation under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA), those wastes are as follows: oil-based mud and cuttings, crude oil, contaminated soils, salt contaminated soils, oily debris, produced sand/ sediment, trash and debris, tank bottoms, basic sediment and water (BS&W), cement returns, spent filters, iron sponge, molecular sieve, filter media, glycol, amine, caustic wash, backwash, and on-site generated wastes resulting from the handling of the wastes authorized to be accepted at the facility.”

In the Audience

Audience members who signed a check-in sheet were Marjorie Luper, Shirley Koons, Eloise Siegmann, Dennis Siegmann, Tim Riddle, Gary Hladik, Sierra Burch, Ann Guffey, Jack Toney, Cole Ream, Mike Maly, Joan Maly, Trent Pribil, Richard Meyer, Ron Townsend, Richard Shimanek, Denise Shimanek, Janie Moore, Brad Moore, Teresa Dillon, Sam Dowell, Chad Dowell, Janie Stewart, Teresa Poteet Helm, David Matousek, and Dusty Munkres.

In addition to town board members present were these two office holders: Town Treasurer Kelley Vaverka and Town Clerk/Office Manager Shelley Burch.

Staff at the meeting were Town Attorney Jared Harrison, Town Administrator Tiffany Rowen and Public Works Director Alyssa Kubat.