Residents press commission over landfill mud, leachate and litter; contract enforcement and legal fees cited

Residents and commissioners spent an extended portion of the workshop discussing persistent track‑out (mud on county roads), leachate issues and blowing trash linked to the county landfill. Several public speakers described ongoing problems and asked the commission to press the landfill operator and state regulators for fixes.

Lisa Benton, a resident and organizer of volunteer cleanups who said she formed a group called "Make Loud and Clean Again," told the commission her volunteers collected more than 310 bags of trash, tires and debris in recent months on county and state roads and near the landfill. She asked the county’s designated Litter Control Committee (which she listed by members) to meet and develop a plan and said she had spoken to judges and juvenile probation about community service options for litter pickup. Benton said the county cannot rely solely on inmate crews and volunteers.

Another resident raised ongoing track‑out (mud) from the landfill and questioned nearly $50,000 listed for legal services in a March solid waste financial report. That speaker asked the commission to explain the legal spending and the lack of long‑term mitigation for track‑out and other operational problems.

Commission discussion acknowledged enforcement limits in the current landfill contract. Commissioner Whitfield asked for an update and County staff said the county has been working with TDEC and attorneys and that a separation in a leachate pipe (cell A) had occurred and must be resolved. Commissioners said the county tried to include fines in prior contracts but lacked explicit authority to impose administrative fines; one commissioner said the county attempted to enforce provisions but was met with litigation threats from the operator. A commissioner noted that Republic (the operator) is a large company with significant legal resources and that contract terms from the 2022 renegotiation constrain the county’s remedies.

Several commissioners and residents discussed capital fixes to reduce track‑out, such as paving and relocating/weigh station and wheel‑wash infrastructure; staff estimated such a capital solution could cost about $1 million. Commissioners debated whether Republic and the Solid Waste Commission (a state‑created body that oversees the landfill arrangement) would share the cost; staff said the county owns the landfill but the operator runs day‑to‑day operations under contract.

Nut graf: Residents described continuing public‑safety and nuisance impacts from mud, leachate and litter; commissioners said they are constrained by contract language and ongoing legal processes, but discussed pursuing stronger enforcement language in future contracts and seeking solutions that could include capital investments or negotiated cost sharing with the operator.

Commissioners also discussed legal costs tied to landfill issues; one commissioner said recent higher legal fees reflect the cost of addressing leachate and other compliance matters. A staff speaker said TDEC has been contacted and that leachate in water would trigger enforcement; commissioners noted TDEC and other state agencies have investigative authority but that fines and remedies depend on regulatory findings.

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to continue negotiations, to press regulatory oversight (TDEC) where appropriate, and to explore engineering/capital fixes and funding options; there was no final action recorded in the workshop transcript.