Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mayor: landfill monitoring shows elevated benzene at Block House Valley; continued testing and repairs underway
Summary
Mayor Terry Frank told commissioners that monitoring wells at the former Block House Valley landfill detected benzene above cleanup objectives and that a pond outfall showed elevated manganese; county and consultants increased monitoring frequency and repaired a malfunctioning aerator.
Mayor Terry Frank updated the commission on remediation and monitoring at the former Block House Valley landfill (Block House Valley), reporting benzene detections in monitoring wells and elevated manganese in a surface-water outfall.
Frank said benzene concentrations recorded during the monitoring event reached 13.6 micrograms per liter at monitoring well CO-2R and 6.4 µg/L at CO-3R; he also reported a manganese measurement of 7,100 micrograms per liter in a pond outfall, which he noted is below the 9,500 µg/L risk-based comparison value cited in the technical letter he presented to the commission. County staff said a solar-powered aerator had been intermittently failing; crews removed obstructing trees and switched to more frequent checks until the system stabilized.
Commissioners asked questions about testing methods, sample-location selection, and whether monitoring met national best practices. The mayor said the county will continue periodic testing and that the remedial work plan remains in effect and subject to Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) oversight. He offered to have the county's environmental contractor (UEES) come to a future meeting to explain monitoring methods and the historical remediation timeline.
The mayor also summarized the history of remediation efforts and litigation related to the site, and commissioners discussed options for planning future public uses of the property, including applying for a planning grant to evaluate potential park or botanical garden uses once remediation milestones allow public access.
Commissioners requested further technical briefings from the contractor and the law director regarding long-term plans and any remaining limitations on property use.
