Vote No On The Rezoning For A New Landfill In Harrison - And Response (3)

  • Monday, October 16, 2017

County Commissioners, please consider the following facts when voting on the rezoning request for a new privately-owned C&D landfill in Harrison. 

Use of this property for a landfill has been rejected by the county three times in the past (1971, 1984 and 2007). 

In 1971 and 2007 the County Commissioners unanimously rejected the proposal. 

In 1984 the Tennessee Department of Public Health stated the property was “hydrogeologically unsuitable for a sanitary landfill.” 

C&D landfills are not lined with an impervious liner, only dirt. 

Any type of waste can go in a C&D landfill with a Special Permit form TDEC. 

Special Permits are not shared with the local municipality. 

There are 138 landfills in Tennessee, in 2016 TEDC approved 950 Special Requests. 

Birchwood II owners admitted to the County Commissioners, during the Commissioners meeting last Wednesday (Oct 11, 2017), that they will have no control over what goes in their landfill. 

Bradley County welcomes Hamilton County waste because they profit from it. 

Bradley County landfill is only nine miles further than the proposed new landfill site. 

Wisdom Street transfer station takes all waste and is centrally located to all of Hamilton County. 

All city of Chattanooga waste goes to Bradley County landfill. 

Birchwood II is an LLC - they can walk away if something goes wrong, leaving the county to pick up the tab for cleanup. 

The money “put aside” by the owner of a landfill, is for closing the landfill, not for clean-up. 

Birchwood II owners have no landfill management experience. 

To open a C&D landfill the property must be zoned M4. Why is Birchwood II requesting a re-zoning to M1? 

The proposed site is on the side of a ridge, with runoff flowing directly into the Tennessee River just north of Harrison Bay State Park and Bear Trace Golf Course. 

I ask that our county commissioners vote “No” on this rezoning request. 

John Chenkus
Harrison 

* * *  

My family has lived directly across from the Landfill/C&D property for many generations.  Our experiences and concerns with the Landfill/C&D location should be highly reviewed with compassion as if this would be you and your family living here. 

Over the duration we have requested support from the mayor of city Chattanooga, Landfill/C&D, TDEC, EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency), Air Pollution Control etc.  Also it is our concern if an Environmental Impact Assessment has ever been done.   

I have included three major concerns: 

One of our major concerns is that this Landfill/C&D is located on the one largest watersheds for Hamilton County; which presents a long-term threat to groundwater and also surface waters.  This Landfill/C&D will be placing a burden on upcoming generations.   

Effect on Residential Property Values.  Study shows homes in close proximity to a Landfill/C&D suffered a loss in value. 

Environmental Impact:  Protect land and water from being destroyed; for future generations to come. 

Bradley County is the Landfill/C&D within close proximity and has over 50 years left to serve the nearby counties and communities without involving nearby homes, families and environment. 

City and county officials, I pray that our concerns are closely considered carefully before voting since the welfare of our beautiful community and citizens requires it. 

District 9 Citizen
Lynn Bishop 

* * * 

I have several rental properties in the East lake and Avondale area. Santek charges an astronomical amount to dump at the Wisdom Street transfer station and the Bradley County landfill. Plus on top of that they also charge 8 percent fuel surcharge and environmental fees.

As a business man with a high turnover of renters, I am making multiple trips to Bradley County to the landfill. It would be more cost effective to have a landfill in Hamilton County again. Seems like Hamilton County would be missing out on revenue if this landfill does not pass. Everything that I have read, the new owners are looking to operate the landfill correctly. 

Dewayne Rains 

* * * 

I wish people would do their research before posting things. 

1) You can't dump anything you want into a C&D landfill.  

2) As with any privately held business, you have complete control over what comes into the landfill. 

3) Birchwood II can't walk away anytime they want, I know this for a fact because I live next to the old Summit Landfill and the city of Chattanooga still has to maintain it. 

4) The city of Chattanooga has built a softball complex on the site and there is a radio control airplane club that operates on top of the old landfill. 

5) If you look at the new construction around the Old Summit Landfill Property Fence, you will see houses from $200,000 to $500,000 being built and sold. 

6) Last year a trailer park sold for over $2 million that adjoins the property. 

So in conclusion, unless your property backs up to a land fill , like mine does, I would check my facts before I post. 

Tim Lind
Ooltewah


Opinion
Democratic View On State Senate Issues - March 19, 2024
  • 3/19/2024

Gov. Lee’s $5.7 billion tax break—slammed as ‘corporate giveaway,’ conflict of interest 8:30 a.m. Finance — SB 2103 , by Sen. Jack Johnson on behalf of Gov. Bill Lee, would give property-rich ... more

Democratic View On Top State Senate Issues - March 18, 2024
  • 3/18/2024

Campbell bill seeks to save lives by studying suicide trends in Tennessee 3 p.m. Senate Regular Calendar — SB 1787 , by Sen. Heidi Campbell, would require state health officials to produce ... more

The Odor Of Mendacity - And Response (2)
  • 3/16/2024

The Fulton County judge, Scott McAfee, overseeing the Fani Willis prosecution of Donald Trump and eighteen other defendants has spoken. In response to a motion by defendants to remove Willis ... more