MURFEESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — It’s not their first attempt and may not even be their last, but Middle Point Landfill General Manager Mike Classen said his newest expansion plan is both historic and unprecedented.
Classen presented the plan on Tuesday in front of a relatively packed house at the Rutherford County Commission’s Public Works and Planning Committee meeting.
He said the plan titled “Rutherford County First,” intends to do just that by closing all budget gaps for the county at zero cost to the county.
“This plan is much more than just a status quo plan for an expansion,” Classen said.
Classen began his presentation by saying that these ideas were the byproduct of interviews, with commissioners, internal and external stakeholders, the mayor’s office, at least 10 open houses and countless door knocks throughout the county.
He said the first of many conclusions from these meetings made it clear that people do not want more taxes, but instead want ways for the county to generate revenue and manage expenses.
Classen said in exchange for allowing Middle Point (Republic Services) to expand toward the old county landfill nearby, they have a long list of financial incentives valued at $1.13 billion.
“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.
Provide free disposal for Rutherford County residents:
- Middle Point Landfill would provide 50 years worth of trash collection for county residents, saving the county an estimated $769 million long-term while saving homeowners $201 annually.
Rutherford County landfill maintenance:
- Classen says Middle Point would also assume financial and environmental responsibility for the county landfill that, “has long been a significant sunk cost and environmental liability for the county.”
- Middle Point would buy the property from the county and combine it with Middle Point Landfill. They believe that doing so would save the county $265 million in landfill maintenance, and environmental and financial liability.
No more Davidson County residential waste:
- All curbside residential waste from Davidson County would be diverted away from Middle Point Landfill, therefore extending the landfill’s lifespan.
- Classen said he received the message “loud and clear” that “Rutherford County cannot be the place where Nashville disposes most of its trash.”
Cap out-of-county waste:
- Middle Point would work with county officials on setting a cap for out-of-county waste while prioritizing local solid waste disposal.
- The plan proposes doubling the current host fee from $1.20 per ton to $2.50 per ton, to make up the difference in revenue from collecting less out-of-county waste.
- Middle Point has served 37 counties, including Davidson County since 1988.
Relieve county of new transfer station debt:
- This part of the plan would absorb debt from the $26 million new transfer station. Republic Services would then re-purpose the transfer station into a recycling center and diversion center.
- Classen mentioned that recycling was a major priority for many of the stakeholders he spoke with, which is why it must be an important part of future plans moving forward.
More transparency and accountability:
- Classen proposed establishing a “citizen-driven council” to consult with Rutherford County Public Works Committee and meet regularly with Republic representatives to offer more transparency while combining the two landfill sites into one.
Capacity on the brink
Classen went on to explain that without some sort of expansion, Middle Point Landfill has four years of disposal capacity left.
“It’s not two years. It’s not seven years. It’s four years, and in the world of landfill permitting and construction, four years is more like zero years,” Classen said.
While Tuesday’s meeting was not meant for a vote, Classen urged commissioners to consider the plan as an alternative to simply waiting for the landfill to close by 2029.
Middle Point has tried to expand the landfill by 100 acres since 2021, but was recently denied by the regional planning board.
Classen’s presentation comes less than one week after Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr and Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland’s plans to study life after Middle Point.
They announced the formation of a “study group,” which they expect will be composed of local city and county stakeholders to become fully independent of Middle Point Landfill.
Complaints over smell and environmental impacts from Middle Point Landfill have been the subject of several NewsChannel 5 investigations, some of which found landfill gasses escaping the landfill at a rate that far exceeded state and federal regulations.
Murfreesboro officials opened a complaint portal and accumulated nearly 2,000 odor complaints in four months. Some varied from a smell creeping into neighboring homes waking them up at night, while others complained of headaches and nausea.
The city of Murfreesboro filed a lawsuit that same year, alleging that Middle Point and Republic Services, allowed the landfill to contaminate air and local waterways.
Both mayors said they oppose expanding Middle Point’s footprint any further and would instead rather focus their attention on their transfer stations.
They did acknowledge, however, that plans may include the use of the county landfill for solid waste that can’t otherwise be recycled.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates asked McFarland and Carr if reopening the Rutherford County Landfill would only compound any environmental concerns with the nearby Middle Point Landfill.
Both agreed this would have to be a carefully monitored process, but say they would rather that responsibility fall on their colleagues and not a large corporation.
“When they’re our kids and our grandkids that we’re talking about, it’s a totally different equation that we’re working with, and I do believe this community is better suited to solve that problem than a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate,” Carr said.
Carr went on to say he’s not sure of a timeline for when to expect the study group to be formed or any decisions to be made about the existing landfill.
Classen meanwhile is still awaiting a response from an appeals court on their previous expansion efforts which were denied last year.
