One congressman wants to establish a solid waste task force to address Tennessee’s escalating trash problem as the state’s largest landfill approaches capacity.
A bill sponsored by Rep. Bryan Terry (R-Murfreesboro) would establish a solid waste advisory task committee that would evaluate the state’s present trash situation, consider creative solutions to the problem, and produce a plan for effective waste management in the future.
According to Rep. Terry, “As you get more growth in the state of Tennessee, there’s more people, more waste, more trash, and it has to go somewhere.”
For Rep. Terry, the issue is personal. According to its website, the Middle Point Landfill in Rutherford County, which is located in his district, is the biggest landfill in the state, taking in 3,700 tons of garbage every day. In addition to being almost full, the landfill has caused other problems for the nearby residents. Neighbors filed a lawsuit in August 2022, claiming that the dump was causing dangerous gasses and odors.
Rep. Terry contended that the neighborhood has been overburdened by the dump.
“My constituents are done with the landfill,” Rep. Terry stated. “We’re tired of being the trashcan of Middle Tennessee and are looking for different alternatives.”
As to the law, the 15-member solid waste task force would “examine all facets of solid waste disposal that the task force deems essential, including, but not limited to, landfilling, recycling, incineration, agricultural uses, and energy production.”
Several House and Senate committees, including the Senate Finance Committee, overwhelmingly approved the bill on Tuesday.
Rep. Terry told that he has a strategy, but that the measure’s main potential obstacle is funding the committee.
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“We have a solid waste management fund here in the state of Tennessee that has about $20 million in it. We’re expecting the task force to potentially cost about $100,000, so we’re going to use some of that $20 million to fund this,” Rep. Terry stated. “If you’re putting it in a landfill, the impact that you have on the environment, if it’s near a water source, the impact you can have chemicals in your water, those are things that impact the entire state. “Finding other solutions and every locality being able to handle their own waste is something the state and the locals have to look at.”
The House Finance Committee is scheduled to discuss the bill on Wednesday.
Source: wkrn
