What would you do if a proposed LANDFILL was coming to your area

[Lavndrgrl]

If you had been living in a a rural area where people like yourself were more interested in then living off their land then living in neighborhoods only to find out that a Proposed landfill could be coming only 1/2 mile away what would you do?

[JJ Grandits]

Western New York faces this problem periodically. Our fine neighbors in the New York city area like to think of our beautiful wooded hills as their private dump. If you organize, hire lawyers, get on the news, and protest like a Viet Nam war rally you can keep the polluting dogs at bay.

[Beltane]

How awful! Is the land where the landfill is going zoned for it? If so, I'd say there isn't much to do about it. You can certainly make your voice heard at your town meeting (where it has probably been discussed) and put forth your fears about noise, air pollution, water contamination, etc. They may have already heard these worries from other folks in your town and have a plan to deal with them. Good Luck.

[Tricky Grama]

Happened a few years ago in N E TX-small town of Melissa. Residents banded together, protested, did all they could-I guess. Landfill is there now & maybe not as bad as once believed. (NIMBY tho!)
We have a rental house in that town but nowhere near the dump. Really nice homes on acreage across the street from the dump entrance were the most mad, I think.
#1-Bet it was zoned industrial...whatever...from the git-go so why build across the street?
#2-Wouldn't build facing a busy state hiway.
#3-Huge mounds/berms were built to hide the operation, w/landscaping; gate is rock/stone & pretty; traffic lite so trucks aren't backed up causing a problem.

However-I'd HATE it near me! Bet it stinks no matter what they do. We drive past it on the way to our land. Doesn't seem too forboding...

Patty

[woodsman]

The most common way to fight landfills is to organize the community against it and fight the project every step of the way. Don't these things require a permit, an environmental impact statement, public hearings in your state? Public hearings are a great place to bring in like minded people and voice their concerns as well as gather, organize, get environmental groups to support your efforts and find what legal hurdles can be thrown in the path of the project.

The truth is that all the garbage our wasteful society produces has to go somewhere. People who plan new landfill don't just randomly pick a place on a map knowing what kind of backlash it might create, and they come prepared.

[Gary in ohio]

You have three choices, Move, live with it or organize and put up a fight and in most cases loose the fight. Unless your local health depth has LOTS of money to fight it you will be outspent and it will go in. It will most likley be delayed a few years but it will go in.

[HermitJohn]

Move.

[Graystone]

I once lived approx 4 miles as the crow flies from a landfill. We were on public water so contaminated well water wasn't a concern. Our street was not on the designated route for truck traffic to the landfill. The only annoyance was the smell on hot summer days when the wind was blowing in our direction.

[arabian knight]

Landfills are a necessary evil. And those that say NIMBY, well then somebody else Is going to have it as they do serve a purpose and will be built, if not by you then by somebody else. And if by you and you are not in the mood to have then find another spot away from anyplace that just might contain a landfill in the future.

[heather]

Originally Posted by woodsman

organize the community against it and fight the project every step of the way.

Go for it!

We didn't have a landfill coming, but we had a transitional living facility for 200 prisoners who had not yet finished their sentences

Totally different outfit, but same procedure

We got it in the paper, on the news, had local meetings, got the Rep involved, went up the chain of command with phone calls, letters, etc. all the way to the Attorney General & Governor

Don't let it rest or you'll get it

The project in our area was canceled by the State

[where I want to]

My first goal would be to look for any endangered species, historical sites, rare plants, drainage issues, archeological sites, geological problems-research the area for anything that could delay or need more review. Ask about their mitigation plans and make those as big as possible. Find out standards for permitting. Find any famous or rich people to get on your side especially if you can find a lawyer (be careful with that one.) Demand they put in a drinking water system at their expense because all dumps leak sooner or later. Mention dump bears and other wildlife.
Don't count on State or Fed experts to provide you with this info. Their expertise usually comes down to "because I've got the college degree and you don't."
Make noise noise noise as early as possible. Look like you plan to go the long haul with this.

If it sounds like too much effort, then I would move asap. Or check out other dumps and see if you can live with it.

In our area, the truck the garbage out of the area as there are earthquake and drainage issues everywhere along with environmental issues. This has caused an increase in dump fees and a push for recycling. Which is a good thing.

[Phoebesmum]

I would work towards NOT having it in my community while simultaneously working to ensure that it would be as environmentally-friendly, safety-minded and as discreet visually and aromatically as possible in the event it IS installed despite my efforts to prevent it from being. It would be a lot of work, but if I felt passionately about it, I would embrace it.

I wouldn't want to live within 10 miles of a dump . On hot days the smell is really bad & they attract all sorts of vermin . I'd try to sell & move & if the community is up in arms I would join in to try to keep it out . WHERE I WANT TO has some good ideas . If it can't be stopped & I couldn't sell out , I would buy somewhere else & rent out the current property .

[chrisc]

We had an old dump (land fill) about 3/4 mile for our house for about 6 years. The only time you could smell it was when the wind blew after a few 100+ degree days. Now it is closed (10 years) and has pines growing over it. It was (is part) of Section 16 land. There was nothing that anyone could do about it as it was state owned land set aside for schools or other local govenment use.

[Sawmill Jim]

I would try to fight it but be looking for a way out .Zone never comes in play in this area .The powers that be buy land in advance of a project then sell it to whom ever better known as a set up deal .Or they are poed at someone an want to drop land value so their buddies can get it . Never trust city hall

[woodsman]

I know of one instance where the dump was moved where no one would mind it thanks to one person's persistence in finding a much better spot to place it within the same area.

[RosewoodfarmVA]

I'd offer to sell my farm at a reasonable price to the county for the landfill! Then buy elsewhere. OR.....

**IF I liked the area** I would save my money, then after the landfill gets built, buy up all the depreciated land around it and adjacent to mine. Turn it into a cattle or timber farm. Landfills only last but so long, then they get moved, and your land will regain it's value. Think 20-30 years ahead, it may be the best investment you could make! Any water contamination issues are the county's responsibility.

I say this, knowing a family that has had it happen in their area. A fellow bought up vast amounts of land (including 3 sides of friends' 50 acre place, 4th side touches landfill...they go through an easement on said fellows land) at less than half the previous value, then runs cows on the hundreds of acres. He also spreads city sludge on it as fertilizer. It makes some beautiful grass, and since the landfill smells anyway, no one complains about the truckloads of "fertilizer" he applies regularly (I'm not recommending the practice, just saying what he does sure works.). He has been offered big $$ for the land immediately touching the landfill, as the county wants a "buffer" zone for liability issues. While the other residents of the area despise the landfill, he has worked within its presence, to turn a curse into a blessing.

Sorry to hear you have to face this, as I would hate having a landfill nearby, I'm just offering suggestions if it does come to pass.

[Rocky Fields]

Hey.

If you can't stop it, get the h_ _ _ out of Dodge.

RF

[Shrek]

I would move elsewhere , dismantle my house for salvage, start selling top soil and fill dirt from my acreage and eventually sell my pit to the land fill for expansion and personal profit.

[Ken Scharabok]

First of all, what type of landfill is it. Everyone seems to be assuming household garbage, but it might be construction waste. Who will use the landfill? Will it be for local use or sold/rented to a commercial landfill concern, such as Waste Management Systems. Will any recognized hazardous waste be allowed to be placed in it?

Recall reading somewhere of a group who stopped a pipeline. What they did was to find a coopertive landowner in the route of it and then bought a narrow strip from one side to the other. They subdivided that into smaller lots and sold them, with the buyers naming as many people on the purchase/deed as possible. Those who bought them then subdivided their portion into smaller lots, again naming as many people as possible on the deed. Eventually the pipeline wasn't looking at having to settle with one person, but hundreds of people, with perhaps some being infants or distant relatives, just for one small strip.

Landfills are far from perfect but the science thereof has greatly improved. Lining is now required. Likely a rule all incoming garbage must be buried by the end of the workday. Methane venting (with perhaps collection and use in a small electric generating plant) and periodic testing will also likely be required.

I'm not saying it is no big deal, but may not be all that bad either. Will create some local employment, particular for heavy equipment operators.

Out county landfill has been closed to all but selected (such as construction and landscaping) waste for some time. If you didn't know it was a former landfill you would have a hard time telling it. Has been grassed/treed over and most of the non-active portion is cattle grazing.

Somewhere in the Ft. Lauderdale, FL area is a different type of incineration plant. Instead of using pit burning it uses a type of electric induction heating, such as used in some blast furnaces. It gets so hot they even dump appliances into it. What comes out is basically steam, ash and molten metal. Convenient, and efficient, but, to me, a waste of recyclable resources.

Someday landfills will be mined for the resources in them.

Up valley from me some folks from out of state wanted to use flyash from the local TVA powerplant as fill to eventually put in a fairly large subdivision. Pretty good deal as TVA would pay them so much per ton to haul it off. About a dozen of us in the valley organized. We found there is a TN law which specificies such projects have to meet at least eight specific criteria. We selected eight people to address each of those issues at a hearing before the County Commission, with practice presentations and a three ring binder notebook for each of the commissioners. Letters to the editor weekly on a particular aspect of it in advance. Interest became such it was doubtful the commission meeting room would have been large enough. We were able to raise enough objections prior to the hearing the application was withdrawn. The recent events with the TVA flyash spills pretty well have justified our concerns.