Airport commission votes to notify FAA and landfill operator about proposed BFI expansion
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Summary
The Murfreesboro Airport Commission voted to send a letter to the FAA Aeronautical District Office and BFI raising safety concerns about a proposed landfill expansion that staff said could raise the site roughly 70 feet and increase wildlife hazards along instrument approaches.
The Murfreesboro Airport Commission voted to draft and send a notice letter to the FAA Aeronautical District Office (ADO) and BFI about a proposed expansion at the Middle Point landfill that staff said would raise the site by roughly 70 feet and could pose hazards for nearby instrument approaches.
Unidentified Speaker 2, presenting the agenda item, said the landfill operator proposed a substantial height increase and that the airport had compiled information — including BFI submissions and local monitoring — and forwarded it to the FAA ADO in Memphis for review. "They are going to evaluate 7460 once they receive it," the presenter said, referring to the FAA airspace/evaluation filing referenced in the meeting. The presenter added the airport's tower has begun collecting Vertower data to quantify departures and arrivals over the area.
Why it matters: Staff warned that raising the landfill elevation could attract birds into airspace used by arriving and departing aircraft and might affect the RNAV approach that crosses the landfill area. Staff said a Vertower geofence tracking beginning Dec. 4 showed about 10% of operations enter the geofenced airspace up to about 3,000 feet.
Commissioners and staff discussed jurisdiction and process: the presenter said the FAA handles airspace evaluations while the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) governs landfill permits. Staff recommended copying the ADO, TDEC and local legislators on any board letter to ensure regulators and stakeholders are informed.
The board then approved a motion to prepare and send the notice letter to BFI and the ADO and to copy relevant parties. The motion was made from the floor and carried on roll call with the named roll‑call list recorded by the chair. The chair said staff would work with airport counsel and circulate the text for signatures within days.
What the action does (and doesn't): The approved motion directs staff to draft and send a notice letter and does not itself alter any permit or stop the landfill project. According to staff, the FAA will not complete a formal airspace action until a 7460/airspace evaluation is submitted by the landfill operator; the commission's letter is intended to register airport safety concerns and preserve the record.
Next steps: Staff said they will finalize the letter, include the Vertower monitoring data and previous institutional letters (MTSU, TDK were cited as having provided comment), and share the draft with commissioners before sending it to the ADO and BFI.
The commission took the item as a recorded vote and moved on to other agenda items.
