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Residents press landfill operator as paving reduces but does not eliminate mud track-out
Summary
Residents supplied photos showing track-out immediately after rain and pressed Republic representatives and commission members for next steps; Republic said the paved stretch and new catch basins are a 'step in the right direction' but not a fix-all, and that TDEC must approve any off-site disposal of suspect soils.
Residents and commissioners spent the largest portion of the meeting discussing mud track-out from landfill operations and whether recent paving and controls are effective.
A resident summarized recent photos showing the road clean after heavy rain and then muddy two days later: "The pictures don't lie," the resident said, arguing the pavement alone will not stop mud brought onto the road by hauling activity. Multiple attendees described continuing mud on tires and on the road despite sweeper work.
Speaker 4, who spoke on behalf of the landfill operator, described the paving project and sediment-control measures: an initial paved, roughly 1,000-foot stretch from the scale house upward, two installed catch basins with a third planned (to be installed pending weather), a wheel wash, and targeted speed bumps to position tires over catch basins. Speaker 4 said Republic contributed significant funding for the project, described in the meeting as "almost half $1,000,000 to get this project started." He emphasized the work was intended as a multi-phase mitigation rather than a complete fix and said the operation will move to a fully rock road around the new cell when phases allow.
Residents questioned the effectiveness and cadence of the street sweeper and whether the sweeper uses water; one resident said the sweeper can produce a dust cloud and create visibility hazards. Commissioners said catch basins are scheduled for periodic vacuum cleanouts and that the operator will increase monitoring. Speaker 4 described catch basin dimensions in the meeting as "4 feet wide and inner diameter and 16 feet long and about 5 feet deep" and said cleanouts were planned during quarterly and semi-annual operations.
Public commenters also raised concerns that 'unsuitable' soil from a nearby school project may have been hauled to local sites (Tennessee National, Matlock Bend and other drop points were mentioned). Speaker 4 and commission staff said the landfill does not accept hazardous materials without analysis and TDEC approval and that Republic and TDEC would need to sign off before such soils could be placed in the landfill. Commission staff suggested that questions about where soil came from and where it was placed should be taken to the county commission or the school board for more detailed follow-up and records requests.
The commission did not adopt a new policy at the meeting but directed staff and operators to continue monitoring, provide photo and operational updates, and bring additional documentation on cleaning cadence and any soil-acceptance records.
