Loudon County solid-waste commission approves easement and authorizes borrow‑pit rezone amid groundwater and stormwater reviews

The Loudon County Solid Waste Commission on an undisclosed November meeting approved several operational items, authorized a land use filing and received technical updates on groundwater monitoring and stormwater features.

Commissioners voted to add a 50‑foot ingress and egress strip tied to an existing 50‑foot landscape buffer for Tennessee National after staff and the company’s attorneys amended paperwork to clarify access. Miss Murphy summarized the change and asked the commission to approve the additional easement; a motion was made, seconded and passed by voice vote.

The commission also authorized Republic to file a rezone application to convert two parcels adjoining the landfill into a private soil borrow area to serve the adjacent solid‑waste operations. Staff described the request as an authorization for Republic to proceed with planning‑commission and county‑commission rezoning steps; commissioners clarified the filing is an authorization to submit the application, not a final rezoning decision.

On environmental monitoring, staff briefed the board on semiannual groundwater sampling and a vendor change for sampling and reporting. The second semiannual sampling will add the Southwest/Purdy Spring and one spring has been placed on quarterly monitoring after observed impacts; staff said supplemental quarterly data will be submitted to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) as required. Dr. Bartel pressed consultants on well locations, groundwater‑flow interpretation and temporal variability of trace metals; staff said they are switching vendors and plan well redevelopment work to improve sampling reliability.

Related stormwater issues were discussed: Pond 2 showed elevated total suspended solids in a sample collected during a rain event even though pH, ammonia and nitrogen remain in compliance. Staff described plans to clean the pond, install a new riser structure and construct a four‑bay mucking area if the condition does not attenuate.

The commission reviewed closure‑project work on Modules C and D, including test pits and an anchor trench to confirm design elevations, and heard that removing a large, old scale from the landfill footprint created a void that produced visible leachate and an associated area of concern (AOC) noted in a recent TDEC inspection; staff said mitigation steps (French drain, slope repairs) are underway and the inspection report will be included in the December packet.

Republic provided a paving update: catch basins and grates arrived and crews plan to repave roughly 1,000 linear feet in stages (outbound then inbound lanes), work one weekend to minimize traffic impacts and use flaggers; the target start was described as the weekend after Thanksgiving with work lasting up to 10 days, weather permitting.

The commission also heard a five‑minute presentation from Todd of Waste Away about a proprietary process to convert municipal solid waste into a solid biofuel and renewable natural gas using hydrolyzer and anaerobic digestion steps. Todd said the company’s approach diverts a substantial fraction of residual waste and produces materials sold to industrial users; commissioners asked technical follow‑up questions about glass handling and energy return on investment, and Todd offered to provide engineer‑level documentation at a later date.

On routine business, the commission approved the October minutes, approved the meeting dates proposed in the October discussion, and voted to pay Miss Murphy $18,800 for legal services covering June through September 2025. The meeting adjourned after the votes.

What happens next: staff will include the recent TDEC inspection report and sampling data in the December packet, the commission plans a site walk to assess jurisdictional water features and expects follow‑up groundwater sampling and a more detailed Waste Away presentation if commissioners request it.