Residents raise transparency, environmental concerns after reports Solid Waste board discussed possible landfill sale

Residents urged Loudon City leaders to investigate reports that the county solid-waste board privately discussed selling the local landfill and expressed worry about environmental and long-term financial impacts.

At the Aug. 25 Loudon City Council meeting, Brian Byers said he believed “secret meetings” were occurring between landfill stakeholders and that the county was considering selling the landfill. Byers told the council he had heard about “back‑room meetings about selling the landfill” and asked the council to investigate (Brian Byers, Resident).

Pat Hunter, who said she has attended solid-waste commission meetings since 1999, said a June 19 meeting’s recording went dark about 30 minutes in and that an executive session followed. Hunter said motions made after the meeting were not reflected in the minutes. She described decisions she said occurred or were being considered: increasing attorney fees (she cited figures she gave as "from $3.80 to $4.80"), hiring additional co‑counsel and expert witnesses, and exploring a…