Tennessee landfill is target of neighbors’ scrutiny

Property owners who live near the Environmental Waste Solutions (EWS) landfill in Camden, Tennessee, have gone to a regional newspaper that has looked into their concerns about whether the landfill has accepted materials beyond its original scope.

An online article by The Tennessean newspaper features quotes from property owners complaining of foul odors and the sounds of small explosions at the 42-acre EWS landfill.

The story also says some local residents and elected officials have been filing legal challenges against EWS since 2010, when the Camden landfill first opened.

The Tennessean says it has found that the state’s Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), rather than restricting the landfill in any way, has “approved more than a dozen requests for ‘special wastes’ – defined as ‘either difficult or dangerous to manage’ – to be deposited in the landfill.”

Initially, says the newspaper, the EWS landfill was permitted to handle shredded tires and demolition materials. Subsequently, however, the TDEC has received approval to accept materials from the coal, aluminum and railroad sectors, “along with diesel fuel from a Superfund site.”

The Tennessean also says that while obtaining a permit to open a new landfill requires public notices and disclosures on operations, once a facility is open it can petition the state government privately to accept additional materials.

A TDEC spokesperson contacted by the newspaper indicated the landfill is either in compliance or seeking to finalize the proper permitting required to reach compliance, although a recent TDEC inspection found 14 violations at the Camden landfill, resulting in more than $37,000 in fines.