NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – The Rutherford County legislative delegation announced they are in opposition to the proposed expansion of Middle Point Landfill near Walter Hill.
Earlier this month Republic Services submitted a proposal to the Central Tennessee Solid Waste Region Board.
Since learning of the proposal, members of the delegation – Reps. Bryan Terry, Charlie Baum, Tim Rudd and Mike Sparks, and Sens. Dawn White and Shane Reeves – have reached out to Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron, Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland and other local leaders to work on solutions to oppose the expansion. The delegation stands in solidarity in opposition.
“We stand opposed to the proposed expansion of Middle Point Landfill,” the legislators said in a joint statement released Monday. “Furthermore, we are asking that the Central Tennessee Solid Waste Region Board and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation honor the wishes of the local county and city governments and our constituents by not approving this application as such action would have great negative impacts on the quality of life of our constituency.”
Members of the delegation have been working extensively to address the issue including having discussions with Governor Bill Lee’s administration, TDEC and with leadership in the General Assembly. Most recently, members of the delegation met with TDEC to discuss their opposition to the expansion, the process of the proposal, and potential steps that can be taken to halt the expansion. In the meeting, the members delivered a letter signed by all the delegation to TDEC in opposition of the expansion.
The proposed expansion from Republic Services cites that Middle Point Landfill is excluded from a 1989 law entitled Jackson Law concerning local control of landfills and former Rutherford County Mayor Nancy Allen signed a contract with Middle Point in the 1990s ceding authority to the landfill. Though both the law and the contract severely restrict any actions the delegation may take, Rutherford County legislators are leaving no stone unturned in working for the constituents to halt the proposed expansion and find a resolution to the problem, according to a news release.
