Commission, Republic and TDEC seek fixes after discovery of leachate disconnect in Cell A

The commission overseeing the Loudon County landfill discussed a suspected partial disconnect in the leachate line from Cell A and agreed to prepare a joint submission to the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation to determine next steps.

At the meeting, commissioners heard that engineers from Republic and consultants flagged a condition in the transition from white PVC to black coordinated pipe that may be restricting leachate flow. "There was a meeting with TDEC on Monday," said Elizabeth Murphy, who summarized the exchange with Republic and the commission's engineers. Murphy said TDEC declined to say the current plan was sufficient and requested more documentation.

Why it matters: if leachate collects against the liner in module A and creates sustained head pressure it could become a compliance issue under the landfill permit, commission members were told. Commissioners pressed for engineered alternatives so the county would not have to start from scratch if TDEC…