By Sherri Blevins
FORT PAYNE – On February 13, 2024, the DeKalb County Commission held a public hearing for comments concerning the revised Dekalb County Solid Waste Management Plan. It proposed modification to the permit for the existing solid waste disposal facility in Collinsville, Alabama. A public notice for the meeting was issued earlier outlining the changes and the considerations the Commission will address.
According to the notice, the management plan describes plans for the management of solid waste generated within DeKalb County from 2024-2034, including types and volumes of solid waste generated in the County, methods of solid waste collection, transportation and disposal, recycling programs in the County, and other topics. The Commission also asked for public comment concerning the Commission’s review of a permit modification for the existing solid waste disposal facility for GEK, Inc., or the Republic Services Sand Valley Landfill. The proposed modification under consideration will change the service area to include various counties in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee and increase the average daily volume of solid waste received at the facility from 1500 tons per day to 3000 tons per day. In determining whether to recommend approval of the proposed modification, the Commission is considering: 1) The consistency of the proposal with the jurisdiction’s solid waste management needs as identified in its plan. 2) The relationship of the proposal to local planned or existing development or absence thereof, to major transportation arteries, and existing state primary and secondary roads. 3) The location of a proposed facility in relationship to existing industries in the state that generate large volumes of solid waste or the relationship to the areas projected for the development of industries that will generate solid waste. 4) Costs and availability of public services, facilities, and improvements required to support a proposed facility and protect public health, safety, and the environment. 5) The impact of a proposed facility on public safety and provisions made to minimize the impact on public health and safety. 6) The social and economic impacts of a proposed facility on the affected community, including changes in property values and social or community perception.
Four individuals asked to speak to the Commission about the plan. Commission President Harcrow reminded the speakers that the hearing was not a question-and-answer session but an opportunity to share comments on the plan. He also asked speakers to keep remarks to two or three minutes.
Mr. Westmoreland was the first individual to speak. He was concerned about the potential increase in the volume of garbage left on the roadside from debris escaping from dirty garbage trucks and about the increased traffic in the area due to the additional tonnage allowed. He suggested raising the tipping fee charged to those who dispose of waste to raise funds for the County instead of raising the amount of accepted garbage. The tipping fee is based on the weight of the waste disposed and helps offset the costs of running the landfill. Westmoreland ended by saying he was opposed to the plan.
Mr. Murry spoke next, stating he was opposed to doubling the amount of garbage allowed from 1,500 tons to 3,000. He told the Commission he had more questions than comments. He wanted to know how much money had been collected from tipping fees and how it was used. He agreed with Mr. Westmoreland on the need to increase the price of tipping fees, especially for out-of-state customers. Murry said, “I am here for the citizens of DeKalb County, and that is the only reason I am here. I was around when this thing got established. We need to think about our citizens here.” He was concerned about what DeKalb County residents would do when the landfill was full.
Kyle KIuykendall introduced himself, saying he was a seventh-generation DeKalb Countian. Kuykendall lives close to the landfill and said that for the last ten years, he had smelled sour milk and other unmentionable smells each day. He asked what compensation he and others in Peek’s Corner, Dawson, Collinsville, Lebanon, and surrounding communities received from the landfill. He said all they got was stink, nastiness, and an eyesore. Kuykendall also complained about poor road conditions in the area close to the landfill and the possibility of even more road deterioration from more 18-wheelers traveling to and from the dump. He also supported increasing tipping fees rather than upping the amount of garbage allowed.
Wayne Killian from the Lebanon community said he was speaking as a concerned citizen from DeKalb County and Alabama. Killian stated that he had texted Engineer Luther and each Commissioner with his concerns, and he appreciated Mr. Luther answering his texts. Killian said he was not opposed to the landfill for DeKalb County citizens, but he was against customers from out of state. Killian announced, “I am opposed to Tennessee and Georgia garbage coming to my county and my state and taking up the space. He also was concerned about property values for those living in Lebanon. He said he had attended several auctions lately and that land in Lebanon was selling for $1,700 an acre while land on Sand Mountain was going for $4,800 per acre. He added that it was a shame the amount of damage the landfill was doing to the area around it. Before the meeting ended, Killian asked the Commissioners if he could get a report from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) on the quality of water in the creek near the landfill. Killian concluded, “It is not going to matter to me. It’s going to matter to the next generation, and the next generation, and the next generation. That is why I am appealing to you to look at my concerns. It is my feeling that this decision should not be your decision, but it should be the decision of the 29,000 people who voted in the last election that will vote again in this coming election in November. That should be who makes the decision whether to expand the landfill rather than just a few people in the community.”
At the conclusion of the hearing, President Harcrow said, “No action will be taken on this today whatsoever. That was never the intent. We thank all of you for your comments and concerns, and I am sure there probably wouldn’t be much difference in our opinions on things like this. The hearing in its entirety may be viewed on MVN’s Facebook page – February 13, DeKalb County Commission Meeting.
During the business portion of the meeting, the Commission approved the following items:
- Awarding the Rebuild AL bid to Charles Watts Inc.
- Awarding the Herbicide Bid to IBM Solutions
- Accepting the resignation of Dewight Rowell from the Road Department
- Hiring Heath Anderson at the Road Department
- Hiring Tim Smith as a part-time security deputy at the courthouse
- Accepting the resignations of Robert McCarther and Amber Guffey as jail employees
- Hiring Katie Keck as a jail employee
- Empowering President Harcrow and Administrator Sharp to sign a contract for $700,000 to purchase infrastructure equipment for the P25 communication system
- Reappointments of Freddy Glover, Jeff Buttram, and Marty Wootten to the E911 Board
- Promoting Assistant EMA Director Michael Posey to permanent EMA Director