COLUMBUS, OH (AP) Gov. Bob Taft on Dec. 23, 2005, signed into law a bill that tightens restrictions on where construction debris landfills can operate and requires more pollution prevention.

The law adds 77 requirements where there was no provision under the old law, said Sen. Tom Niehaus, the Cincinnati-area Republican who managed the bill through the Senate.

Landfills that accept debris from construction and demolition sites such as bricks, drywall and wood must be 500 ft. (152.4 m) from homes and natural resources such as lakes, forests and parks.

Owners must monitor rainwater that leaks through the dumps for a host of contaminants and pay for up to five years of care to prevent leaks after closing a site.

There are about 70 construction landfills in Ohio now, many of them in the northeast part of the state.

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