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Area residents gather at WashCo Courthouse to oppose landfill
That's what happened Tuesday, April 24 when tensions filled the small courtroom of the Washington County Courthouse for a public hearing to get citizen input into the construction of a Class D Regional Landfill proposed for the extreme southern portion of the county near the Mobile County line. Attorney Michael Onderdonk moderated the meeting, which included 10 speakers, nine of which opposed the landfill. The first speaker was Butch Lambert who represented Advanced Disposal Services, Inc. (ADS) of Jacksonville, Fla. with whom the county commission has contracted to build the landfill. Lambert passed out a handout giving detailed information about the proposed landfill and for the first time, the name of the landfill was known, Turkey Trot Landfill. Lambert's handout gave a list of landfill benefits: revenue through host fee, discounted garbage fees to residents and industry, creation of employment opportunities, and potential fuel source in methane gas. The next speaker was former probate judge John Henry Armstrong who began his presentation by praising the county commission for attending the public hearing. "I was one of the kingpins responsible for getting this landfill here," he said. Armstrong went on to explain that in its last three audits, Washington County has been criticized for its outstanding debt and he is convinced that the landfill will provide needed funds for Washington County's road infrastructure. "The county needs these funds. We have no other resources to go to for funds to do these roads. Sales tax is not going to fly in Washington County. People here are not going to allow another tax to be put on them." Armstrong stated that Chatom, Millry and McIntosh are all considering raising municipal taxes. Danny Daniels, member of the city council of Citronelle told those assembled that the city of Citronelle voted to oppose the landfill. Daniels believes the landfill project will have a (negative) financial impact on Citronelle; and turning to face the five commissioners seated in the jury box, he said he wished Washington County would consider Citronelle when they make decisions affecting Citronelle financially. "I promise you, I will see that Citronelle passes an ordinance to stop garbage trucks from passing through Citronelle." Onderdonk also read a statement from the Citronelle Industrial Development Board listing the negative impact of a landfill so near their city. Marcella Mitchell, a member of the Millry City Council asked, "How do we know that the county will get the projected $800,000?" He voiced concern that should ADS go out of business, then who will pay to close the landfill and stated that the people of Washington County will. John Ransom of Baldwin County, who works with that county's waste disposal plan addressed the meeting to request that after the state of Alabama, the contract be amended to add the words, "except Baldwin County." Baldwin County does not wish to participate in the Turkey Trot Landfill. Jeffrey Lewis of Charity Chapel had questions about why the public hearing was held so late in the landfill acquisition process? He said that the site of the proposed landfill is an historical place, "..no doubt some of it burial grounds and our people buried there." And he added that country people get their drinking water out of the ground. Tim Helveston stated, "Landfills don't bring nothing but problems." And addressing the commission he said, "If you would get off your tails and get out into the communities and explain to the people (about county debt), they'll listen," and continuing, "John Henry Armstrong said he could pass a school bus on my road. I'd like to know where he passed it? The widest two places are at the highway and at my house." Two sets of petitions were handed to Onderdonk; one before the meeting and another set by Richard Johnson who said his lists contained 1,144 signatures. Johnson, who along with Joe Stanley has led the opposition to the landfill, is opposed to a landfill anywhere in Washington County and believes that landfills are not a stable source of income. He said his home faces east and he would be able to see the mountain of garbage rise at the proposed landfill from his front porch. "What happens if it shuts down, he asked? I don't want to be the center of attention for garbage from five states." He expressed the burden of the landfill on future generations of Washington County and the impact on game. Johnson verbally "poked" the commission by reminding them that they say the proposed landfill is state of the art and environmentally safe, but that only one company submitted a bid to build the landfill. "One out of one, guess that is the best?" he chided. He read from the Mobile Press-Register (MPR) about liners in municipal landfills leaking and polluting ground water. And quoting from the MPR, "There is no such thing as a secure landfill." Joseph Stanley of Charity Chapel told the group he and others attended a Washington County Commission meeting on December 9 and were told the landfill would bring in $500,000 annually to the county. Yet, he said he read in a local weekly last week that former Judge Armstrong wrote in a letter to the editor that the landfill will bring in $800,000. He continued that the interest on the county's $7,000,000 debt is $700,000 - $800,000 annually and the income from a landfill "....would be only a band aid fix." According to Stanley, the MPR (April 24th edition) stated that the Washington County landfill "is on the fast track." And he quoted Commissioner Hilton Robbins saying that the county had already accepted $800,000. He quoted Robbins, "It is too far along to turn around. I'm not saying it cannot be done, but it is too far along. We've signed contracts." A question and answer period was cancelled. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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