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 requires remedial measures.

Engineers and staff described a bucket test performed April 9 that produced a consistent, low flow that suggested something was "controlling the flow," a description echoed by an engineer on the call. Commissioners asked for options beyond the slip-lining that had been proposed. A Republic representative said slip-lining had been designed to achieve appropriate flow but that alternatives exist, including installing an internal stent or stinger in the PVC, replacing the pipe entirely, or creating supplemental capture-and-evacuation drains.

Murphy summarized the practical constraint: "the question is how do we ensure that we shape module A being properly drained so that there's not head pressure on the liner...that would create a compliance issue for the commission." She and the commission tentatively agreed on a joint submission to TDEC that staff and Republic would file early next week; if the parties disagree on content each may submit its own materials.

Commissioners sought information on worst-case storm events. Commissioner Ross asked whether analyses account for extreme rainfall events like recent storms in Memphis and Nashville; staff replied TDEC evaluates proposals under existing regulatory design storms, and extreme-event scenarios beyond those regulatory standards would be an owner/operator design consideration. The meeting record noted that the existing regulations have not been rewritten recently and that extreme-event planning is outside TDEC's standard review.

Technical context and next steps: staff asked Republic and its engineers to provide a set of engineered options and to clarify expected maximum flows. Murphy said the engineering analysis estimated a range of about 0.8 to 4.8 gallons per minute from the location in question. Commissioners asked Republic to supply a written list of alternative fixes and flow projections so the commission could have engineered concepts ready if TDEC requests further action.

Other operational topics related to the Cell A discussion included remedial work on two stormwater ponds (contracted to Hinkle for remediation and resampling), plans to solicit quotes for security cameras (two vendors; quotes expected by mid-May), and potential options for grinding or reusing wood debris (Republic staff said they were pursuing end users, including an approach to Monterey Mushroom).

The commission directed staff to compile the joint submission to TDEC, requested engineered alternatives from Republic, and added language to a pending minor modification so construction schedules and QA/QC reports would be submitted in a timely manner to the chair, vice chair and an engineer appointed by the commission. No formal vote on a remedy was taken at the meeting.

Commission members emphasized that doing nothing was not an acceptable option and asked staff and Republic to accelerate options development so the commission can propose engineered solutions if TDEC deems the situation problematic.