Pike County fiscal court rescinds landfill host agreement after lengthy public comment

Pike County's fiscal court voted to rescind consideration of a host community agreement with USA Waste/American Land Reserve LLC after an extended public-comment period in which residents raised water-quality, traffic and transparency concerns and urged the court to halt the proposal.

Judge Jones, who presided over the meeting, told residents the host agreement was an exploratory contract that would have allowed the company to do engineering and file for permits; he repeatedly emphasized the county's siding ordinance and permitting process while responding to questions about notice and ownership. "This project is dead," Judge Jones said as he explained the technical and procedural steps that govern site approval and permit review.

Residents and advocacy groups told the court they felt blindsided by the proposal and by perceived lack of meaningful local notice. Blake…