Residents urge Paulding County to relocate planned Reynolds Road transfer station; operator says it will comply with state and federal controls

Residents of Menlo Station told the Paulding County Board of Commissioners on April 12 that a planned Reynolds Road waste transfer station threatens health, traffic safety and property values, while the company contracted to operate the facility said it will follow state and federal rules and work with the community.

Janice Philhot, a Menlo Station resident, told commissioners the new facility raises concerns about airborne chemical exposures and long-term health effects, citing studies she said link waste-facility work to higher rates of respiratory illness and cancer. "These chemicals are known to cause respiratory irritation, headaches, dizziness, nausea," Philhot said, urging caution and more information for neighbors.

Tammy Day, another resident, described traffic and neighborhood impacts and said the group has collected more than 1,500 signatures opposing the site. Day said the county paid "$998,000 for property that was valued at $203,000 in 2021," and warned the community expects significant truck traffic, noise and odor if the transfer station continues. "We just don't need it in our backyards," Day said.

County staff and the county attorney provided a timeline of the site's planning. Jason (county attorney) said the Reynolds Road property was zoned industrial as part of the county's original 1969 zoning, the county purchased the site in 2021 for a potential transfer station, Capital Waste was selected in 2024, plans were submitted in 2025 and construction began in 2026. He emphasized that the Reynolds Road facility is a transfer station — a temporary staging and loading facility — not a landfill, and described past planning that led to the site selection.

Matt Parker, president and CEO of Capital Waste, introduced his company's local operations team and told the board and residents the company "is not here to dispute your concerns. We want to be good partners to you." Parker said transfer stations in the company's Georgia and Southeast facilities operate with regular inspections and controls.

Brian Yoorstin, chief operating officer for Capital Waste, said the company will limit operating hours under its county contract and that materials "cannot spend the night on the waste floor; it has to be completely cleared each night." He added that the state requires daily floor cleaning and that the company has not received odor complaints at its other transfer stations in the region.

Chair (speaker 1) said there was not a decision before the board at the meeting and invited the company to remain for additional, non-public discussions. The board moved into executive session after public comment to address real estate, litigation and personnel matters; no final vote on the Reynolds Road facility was recorded in the public meeting transcript.

The county did not record a public decision at the April 12 meeting; commissioners said staff will gather more data and continue discussions. The company told the board it is available to meet with residents and county staff to answer further questions.