ADEM holds hearing on Dothan landfill permit renewal as neighbors raise PFAS, graves and nuisance concerns

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management held a public hearing June 25, 2025, in Dothan on a proposed renewal and modification of the City of Dothan Sanitary Landfill permit (permit number 35-06). ADEM staff described an expansion of the facility and monitoring and operating conditions, and residents and environmental advocates testified about alleged groundwater contamination, PFAS in nearby waterways and the desecration of graves on or near the site.

ADEM land-division representative Isabel Bella summarized the agency’s preliminary determination and the terms of the draft permit, saying the department found the proposal "in compliance with the applicable state and federal solid waste disposal requirements and thus protective of public health and the environment." She said the modification would expand the facility to 506.67 acres, increase the municipal solid-waste (MSW) disposal area to 74.1 acres and the construction-and-demolition (C&D) disposal area to 14.1 acres. The draft would keep the landfill’s maximum average daily tonnage at 400 tons per day and,…