MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — Murfreesboro officials released details about a proposed settlement with Middle Point Landfill and parent company Republic Services that could resolve a lawsuit filed by the city in 2022.
The settlement would require the landfill to implement several environmental protection measures, including systems to reduce "forever chemicals" in local waterways.
A public meeting will be held on Thursday, July 31 at 6:00 p.m. at Murfreesboro City Hall, where officials will vote on either approving or rejecting the settlement.
According to a press release issued by the city, if accepted, the settlement would provide the following:
-Construction of a treatment system to reduce levels of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), also known as “forever chemicals,” in MPLF’s main stormwater outfall to the East Fork Stones River and routine sampling of other outfalls, groundwater, and springs for forever chemicals with the possibility of additional treatment.
-Monthly sampling for forever chemicals in MPLF’s landfill leachate discharged to the City’s sewer and for a study of other potential sources of forever chemicals discharging to the sewer system.
-A study of pretreatment options for removal of forever chemicals from MPLF’s leachate before the discharge to the City’s sewer.
-Construction of a pretreatment system by Republic/BFI to remove forever chemicals from the leachate sent to the City if future regulations limit the amount of forever chemicals in the City’s effluent from its wastewater treatment plant to the West Fork Stones River.
-A detailed gas and odor management plan, overseen by the City, that goes beyond regulatory benchmarks by requiring specific actions to address landfill gas escaping from the landfill and operation and maintenance problems with the gas collection and control system.
-A new odor complaint portal shared by the City and Republic/BFI with a requirement for the landfill to immediately investigate, document, and address complaints, if feasible.
City officials emphasized that accepting or rejecting the settlement has no bearing on the city's stance on landfill expansion.
"The city remains opposed to any expansion of the Middle Point Landfill's footprint or any attempt to expand vertically to extend its life," the release read.
This follows years of legal battles between Middle Point Landfill and the city of Murfreesboro, involving a lawsuit that was later amended to include more alleged EPA violations.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates also discovered years of reports that document the amount of methane escaping the landfill was well beyond state and federal limits.
After being denied an appeal to expand Middle Point's footprint, Middle Point GM Mike Classen later declared that the region was facing a trash crisis with only few years left before the area would have to find someplace else to store its trash.
“This proposal is a product of thoughtful and deliberate conversations with county leaders. We believe it represents the best, most cost-effective, and environmentally responsible path forward for Rutherford County — one that solves immediate challenges and aligns with our leaders’ growth goals for the future,” Classen said.
Recently, the city voted to annex the landfill property, giving officials more control over monitoring without assuming control of day-to-day operations.
In years past, Murfreesboro officials said the landfill accepted all types of waste that seeped into local waterways, producing a foul odor and resulting in more than 2,000 complaints to the city's complaint portal.
The city sought an injunction against Middle Point that would require halting operations until they could fix the smell and discharge into the river.
Middle Point denounced "the frivolous and baseless claims" made against them.
"BFI condemns Plaintiff's blatant disregard for the use of judicial resources and the legal process by bringing forth a legal claim displaying a clear lack of legal precedent, facts, or merit in a cheap ploy to generate media attention and scapegoat the Defendants," the company stated.
Middle Point denied each allegation made by the City of Murfreesboro but suggested that others could be responsible for any groundwater runoff.
This is a developing story.
