Monitoring Solid Waste Disposal Facilities

Many county commissioners are concerned about what happens at both public and private waste disposal facilities in their county. The management of landfills and other disposal facilities can be critical to local environmental issues. Many times it is hard to keep track of the bureaucratic procedures involved in applying for or modifying a permit for a solid waste facility.

To help improve public notice of these procedures, you can ask to be added to a Division of Solid Waste Management mailing list that will send you information about all applications and modifications. Mind you, this will not be limited to only your county, but being on the list will help ensure you know when there is a notice or public comment period about a facility in your county.

Persons who wish to be on the DSWM’s mailing list should request a Mailing List Request form by calling or writing: Public Participation Officer; Division of Solid Waste Management; Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation; 5th Floor, L & C Tower; 401 Church Street; Nashville, Tennessee 37243-1535; telephone 615-532-0798; e-mail Solid.Waste@state.tn.us.

I am on this list and recently received a notice of the summary report of all permit modifications that were approved in 2008. For your convenience I am posting that document on the legal resources section of the main association website. You can link to it here:

http://www.tncountycommissioners.org/files/solid_waste_permit_modifications.pdf

Copies of the List may also be reviewed or obtained at the Department’s Environmental Field Office (EFO), Public Access Areas. To locate the EFO closest to you, call 1-888-891-8332 or contact the Division of Solid Waste Management Central Office located at 5th Floor, L & C Tower, 401 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37243-1535; telephone 615-532-9267 or at the Department’s World Wide Web Site at http://www.state.tn.us/environment.