Board Votes to Place Landfill on Forrest School Road
Even after the overwhelming show of support from the community at the public hearing held on February 16, the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors voted to proceed with permitting the Forrest School Road property for a landfill. Over 80 concerned citizens attended the public hearing and many expressed their concerns about the site. Speakers were applauded by the engaged audience and many valid reasons were given that should’ve convinced the supervisors to explore other options.
The supervisors did not respond to any of the concerns raised by the speakers and their only response was to plan a vote on February 23 at their board meeting.
During the board meeting, Jeff Patterson made the motion to place the landfill on Forrest School Road and Jimmy Tate Waldon seconded the motion. Keith Fields and Jeff Rencher voted against it, and Gary Ross, Board President broke the tie by voting to place the landfill there. Again, no reasons were given for placing it there, other than they did not want to be dependant upon another county to take their garbage…which is a ridiculous statement since another county takes the household garbage already.
Opponents of the Forrest School Road site have continuously pointed out the many valid reasons why this is a poor choice and have offered solutions that include hauling and disposing of the garbage out of county at a cost of less than $20,000/year. This is a much cheaper, more sensible solution than spending more than $100,000/acre to install a new landfill. If they begin with the 6 acre cell described by the county engineer, they will spend over $600,000 before it’s even opened.
Local residents are also concerned about the board’s environmental compliance history. They have recently received a Notice of Violation from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality for illegal dumping at the Farmingotn Landfill. This is just one in a series of NOVs they have received from the state. There’s no reason to expect they will manage another landfill any safer.
We will continue to fight this injustice through the court and regulatory systems. Keep our community in your prayers!
Third Public Hearing Scheduled for February 16, 2009
The Alcorn Board of Supervisors are compelled to hold yet another public hearing on the proposed Forrest School Road landfill due to lack of proper notice to some landowners and their decision to NOT reschedule the December 15 hearing due to the threatening weather. The supervisors received over 50 letters requesting another public hearing.
The threat of freezing weather and National Weather Service travel advisories prevented many community residents from attending the December 15 hearing and the residents felt another hearing should be held to enable them to participate in the process.
In a special called board meeting on December 30 at 9:00 am, the Board of Supervisors voted to hold a third public hearing on February 16 at 6:00 pm in the upstairs courtroom at the Alcorn County Courthouse. Please make plans to attend.
Our group continues to question why another landfill is needed. Comprehensive studies have shown it would be much more cost-effective to recycle and haul the remaining garbage to a landfill in another county. Mississippi law states that a county must provide a method for disposal – not actually have a landfill – and the law plainly states that a county can contract with another county or waste management company to take the garbage. It will be a tremendous cost savings to Alcorn County taxpayers for the supervisors to recycle and contract with another county or waste management company to take the garbage. That cost savings can go a long way toward relieving the tax burden on each Alcorn County resident, as well as reducing any liabilities associated with operating and maintaining a landfill.
In Mississippi, construction debris landfills are referred to as rubbish sites. In reality, in almost every other state, they are called construction debris landfills because that more accurately reflects what is disposed in them. When someone remodels their home in Mississippi, the debris is disposed of in a ‘rubbish’ landfill. Older homes may have asbestos shingles and insulation with walls and siding painted with lead paint. Decomposing sheetrock turns into hydrogen sulfide and mold, both known to have cancer links. Treated wood may contain arsenic. Flourescent lightbulbs contain mercury and even carpeting and paneling can contain formaldehyde. When these items are broken apart and buried in the ground or the dust enters the atmosphere, contamination can occur. These type of landfills are also known for the uncontrollable underground fires that can burn for days releasing mixed toxins in the air.
Unfortunately, there are many examples where government regulations were not stringent enough and irreparable harm was done once the deficiencies were realized. The TVA coal ash flood that just happened is a very recent example. The uninhabitable Katrina trailers that were full of dangerous fumes is another. Love Canal, Chernobyl, and dozens of other environmental disasters demonstrate the dangers associated with taking our safety for granted and leaving it in the hands of unproven government regulations.
The proposed Forrest School Road landfill has no beneficial features that make it a good choice for a construction debris landfill. The land sits on a hill and is full of creeks that flow into a major tributary that feeds the water supply for miles. The roads to and from the site are dangerous, hilly, curvy, and full of potholes. Several have railroads. The site is surrounded by homes and contains a cemetery. It is not centrally located and illegal dumping is expected because residents will not drive to the site to dispose of their garbage. Again, it has no beneficial features that would cause anyone to want to put a landfill there. That’s part of what adds to our confusion. We don’t understand why anyone would want to put one there.
The fact that a third public hearing is required demonstrates the lack of understanding the board has for the process and procedures surrounding opening a landfill. It is a long-drawn out process and one we plan to ensure is followed to the letter of the law.
Members of our group have tried to present the board with more cost-effective options, but have been met with resistance and even been censured in an open forum. We ask that everyone in Alcorn County discuss this matter with your supervisor and ask them if this is really the most cost-effective option and how they chose this location. Ask how they will mitigate the obvious safety risks associated with this site and how they will protect the residents who live near it, on the way to it, or drive the roads to it.
Landfills don’t belong in anyone’s backyard.
Attend the second public hearing on December 15, 2008 at 6:00 pm
The Alcorn County Board of Supervisors are still planning to place a landfill on Forrest School Road in the Wenasoga Community. Because they did not follow correct procedures in the first public hearing, another public hearing must be held. This hearing will be held on Monday, December 15, 2008 at 6:00 pm in the upstairs courtroom in the Alcorn County Courthouse in Corinth, MS. Please make plans to attend to let the supervisors know how damaging this landfill will be to our community.
Please print out this attachment (also located in the right sidebar) and complete it, then FAX and MAIL the completed form to Bobby Marolt, Alcorn County Chancery Clerk, the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors, and Paul Rhodes, Alcorn County Solid Waste Coordinator
at Fax: 662-286-7706
and mail to:
Bobby Marolt, Chancery Clerk
Alcorn County Board of Supervisors and
Paul Rhodes, Alcorn County Solid Waste Coordinator
P.O. Box 69
Corinth, Mississippi 38835
The fax may be busy. You may also have to dial a “1” first, depending on what area you’re making the call from. Please do not give up. Please cut and paste the document into the body of a letter, and then mail via the postal service to the address listed above before Wednesday, December 10, 2008.
After you have done this PLEASE forward this e-mail and attachment to all Alcorn County residents on your e-mail list and ask them to complete it and fax and mail it to Bobby Marolt, Chancery Clerk, the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors, and Paul Rhodes as soon as possible!
Please mark your calendar and make every effort to attend the public hearing on the landfill issue on Monday, December 15, 2008 at 6:00 pm at the upstairs courtroom in the Alcorn County Courthouse in Corinth, MS.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO LIVES IN ALCORN COUNTY AND ASK THEM TO OPPOSE THE THIS LANDFILL SITE OR ANY PLACEMENT OF LANDFILLS NEAR HOMES!
To my supervisor – Mr. __________________________,
I am a resident of Alcorn County and I oppose the future placement of a solid waste facility on Forrest School Road and in any area with the following limitations:
No new solid waste facility (landfill, rubbish site, land application site, outdoor processing facility or outdoor composting facility) should be located:
1) Within .5 (half) mile of any home, unless the homeowner consents
2) Within .5 (half) mile of a church, cemetery, school, licensed day-care center, licensed hospital or licensed nursing home
3) Such that the anticipated traffic along the primary route to the facility will not significantly increase the safety risk within a 5 (five) mile radius of the disposal area of the facility
I feel the hazards associated with placing new solid waste facilities under these conditions unnecessarily risk the health and safety of Alcorn County residents and request that you, as a member of the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors stop pursuing the placement of a solid waste facility at the proposed Forrest School Road site or any other new location with the above restrictions.
Rubbish landfills (construction debris landfills) can contain materials that pose a hazard to nearby residents. Hydrogen sulfide, mold, lead paint, asbestos, and mercury are all by-products of items disposed of in rubbish landfills and there should be greater restrictions on the location of their disposal sites than is currently allowed by law.
There should also be greater emphasis on traffic management and road conditions so that travelers and residents are not put in jeopardy due to the added traffic caused by the transportation of rubbish, garbage, or any solid waste to a landfill.
I also ask that a financial study be completed and published that examines all aspects of waste management in Alcorn County to determine the most cost-efficient method to manage the rising waste disposal costs.
I applaud all recycling efforts and encourage the supervisors to continue to pursue methods to reduce the waste that is placed in landfills. I feel placing a centrally located recycling facility in Alcorn County, perhaps near or in the industrial park, will encourage residents to join in this endeavor.
Please include this request in the minutes of the December 15, 2008 Public Hearing on the Alcorn County Solid Waste Management Plan.
Sincerely,
Name____________________________
Address_____________________________
_________________________
Letter to the Editor – December 4, 2008
There will be another public hearing on December 15 at 6:00 pm in the courtroom on the second floor of the Alcorn County courthouse about the proposed landfill on Forrest School Road. The supervisors are compelled to hold another public hearing because they did not follow the proper procedures for the last one.
Like most of you, I have read the articles and letters to the editor aimed at persuading the public that the proposed landfill is harmless and that with recycling it will barely be used at all. While I applaud all recycling efforts, the hard facts are the statements made in the November 16 newspaper article do not represent what the board of supervisors are communicating to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) in their solid waste management plan, which is essentially their contract with the state on how they will dispose of garbage in Alcorn County. In reality, their plan calls for the Forrest School Road site to be both a construction debris landfill and a recycling/processing facility for the next 37 years.
Let’s look at some other hard facts. According to that article they had 30-40 trucks on a Thursday bring garbage to the Farmington landfill. Imagine what Saturdays are like. As we’ve stated many times, one only has to look at the roads leading to the Forrest School Road site to know the inherent dangers with that kind of traffic.
In almost all other states, ‘rubbish’ landfills are called construction debris landfills, which more accurately represent what they contain. To say there are no environmental hazards associated with them is not just inaccurate, it’s irresponsible – even the EPA and MDEQ won’t say that. If it’s so harmless, why are permits, liners, and compliance inspections required?
Some of the supposedly harmless garbage placed in a ‘rubbish’ landfill includes decomposing sheetrock that creates hydrogen sulfide and mold, both known to have cancer links. Older homes, now being remodeled, can have wood and sheetrock painted with lead. Treated wood can have arsenic in it, shingles and insulation can contain asbestos, and fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury – all things that can end up in a ‘rubbish’ landfill. Then there are the underground fires that can burn for days with no way of knowing what toxins are being released in the smoke.
Just because government regulations allow something does not mean it will be okay. The current state of the economy is a good example of that. At some point, common sense must prevail and people must ultimately take a stand against what they know is wrong. History is full of environmental horror stories based on decisions made without all the facts – or in spite of them.
Placing any type of landfill so close to homes is also irresponsible. Taking the attitude that it has to go in someone’s backyard lacks creativity and knowledge of the law. The state requires the county to make arrangements for the disposal of garbage. That can include contracting with another county to take it, which relieves this county of the liability and costs of opening and maintaining another landfill. Just because, legally, a landfill can be placed in your backyard, doesn’t make it the right thing to do or the only option to explore.
If the traffic, environmental hazards, and proximity to homes aren’t enough, then chase the dollars. If recycling can and will be done as effectively as the board has stated, then why go to the expense of opening up another landfill? Comprehensive studies have shown that it would be much more cost-effective to recycle at Farmington or the transfer station and transport any remaining garbage to an out-of-county landfill. Waste management experts have indicated it can cost $100,000 or more an acre to open a construction debris landfill. Where will that money come from? The supervisors have stated in several articles that the current garbage costs in Alcorn County are almost a $1 million over budget. Money has been taken from the nursing home sale to balance this year’s budget and shore up next year’s. When that money runs out, will our taxes be raised again and/or will we be charged garbage fees to offset this deficit?
Even holding additional public hearings must be done at considerable costs to you and me, the taxpayers of Alcorn County. Court reporter charges, as well as lawyer and engineering fees all come out of your pocket. Each time you’re told your road can’t be fixed or a local need can’t be fulfilled because of a lack of funds, ask how much money went to open this unneeded landfill?
There are many other sound, logical reasons why this is a poor choice for Alcorn County. If you would like to hear them and are concerned about the location and cost of this landfill, please attend the public hearing on December 15. If you can’t attend, please submit written comments. A letter is also available on www.Wenasoga.com to use as a guide.
Quite simply, until the Forrest School Road site is no longer included in the board’s amended solid waste management plan, the fight isn’t over and our costs as taxpayers will continue to climb and our health and well-being will continue to be at risk.
Sincerely,
Lisha Hinton Hopper
Attend the Public Hearing on October 20 – Mail or Fax Form
The Alcorn County Board of Supervisors are still planning to place a landfill on Forrest School Road in the Wenasoga Community. A public hearing will be held on Monday, October 20, 2008 at 10:00 am in the Board Room at the Chancery Building in Corinth. Please make plans to attend to let the supervisors know how damaging this landfill will be to our community.
Please print out this attachment (one copy for each 18 year old and/or registered voter in your household) and complete it, then FAX the completed form to Bobby Marolt, Alcorn County Chancery Clerk, the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors, and Paul Rhodes, Alcorn County Solid Waste Coordinator
at Fax: 662-286-7706 or E-mail: bmarolt@co.alcorn.ms.us
or mail to:
Bobby Marolt, Chancery Clerk
Alcorn County Board of Supervisors and
Paul Rhodes, Alcorn County Solid Waste Coordinator
P.O. Box 69
Corinth, Mississippi 38835
The fax may be busy. You may also have to dial a “1” first, depending on what area the call is originating you’re making the call from. Please do not give up, if you are unable to get through via fax then PLEASE take the time to scan and e-mail it, cut and paste the document into the body of the e-mail and e-mail it, or mail via USPS to the address listed above before Wednesday, October 15, 2008.
After you have done this PLEASE forward this e-mail and attachment to all Alcorn County residents on your e-mail list and ask them to complete it and fax or mail it to Bobby Marolt, Chancery Clerk, the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors, and Paul Rhodes as soon as possible!
Please mark your calendar and make every effort to attend the public hearing on the landfill issue on Monday, October 20, 2008 at 10:00 am at the Board Room in the Chancery Building at 500 Waldron Street in Corinth, MS.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO LIVES IN ALCORN COUNTY AND ASK THEM TO OPPOSE THE THIS LANDFILL SITE OR ANY PLACEMENT OF LANDFILLS NEAR HOMES!
To the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors
We, the residents of Alcorn County, oppose the future placement of a solid waste facility on Forrest School Road and in any area with the following limitations:
No new solid waste facility (landfill, rubbish site, land application site, outdoor processing facility or outdoor composting facility) should be located:
1) Within .5 (half) mile of any home, unless the homeowner consents
2) Within .5 (half) mile of a church, cemetery, school, licensed day-care center, licensed hospital or licensed nursing home
3) Such that the anticipated traffic along the primary route to the facility will not significantly increase the safety risk within a 5 (five) mile radius of the disposal area of the facility
We feel the hazards associated with placing new solid waste facilities under these conditions unnecessarily risk the health and safety of Alcorn County residents and request the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors stop pursuing the placement of a solid waste facility at the proposed Forrest School Road site or any other new location with the above restrictions.
“I request that this request be added to the minutes of the October 20, 2008 Public Hearing about the Solid Waste Management Plan..“
_________________________________
Signature
_________________________________
Printed Name
_________________________________
Address
_________________________________
City Zip Code
Please FAX the completed form to Paul Rhodes, Alcorn County Solid Waste Coordinator and Bobby Marolt, Alcorn County Chancery Clerk at Fax: 662-286-7706 or ‘cut and paste’ form and E-mail to: bmarolt@co.alcorn.ms.us or mail to:
Paul Rhodes, Alcorn County Solid Waste Coordinator
Bobby Marolt, Alcorn County Chancery Clerk
P.O. Box 69
Corinth, Mississippi 38835
Letter to the Editor – October, 2008
The Board of Supervisors are planning to pursue placing a landfill on Forrest School Road in the Wenasoga community and by law must hold a public hearing which will take place on October 20 at 10:00 am in the Board Room at the Chancery Building.
Twice community residents have tried to meet with the board and explain their concerns and the obvious drawbacks of this site. The citizens were shouted down and even though they were on the agenda and carried the names of over 700 concerned Alcorn County residents on a petition, they were denied the right to discuss the matter on the record with the board.
Once again, we implore the board to reconsider this site – not simply because we as a community don’t want it there. Admittedly, we don’t – but more importantly because it is plainly a bad decision. The roads simply will not handle this type of traffic. Chip-slagging a few miles of state-aid road will not remove the curves, hills, pot-holes, and narrowness of Henson-Purdy or Forrest School Road. Digging the grass away from the side of the road will not remove the railroad tracks or curves on Wenasoga or Holly Church Road. Adding a recycling center sounds good on paper, but it will also increase the amount of truck traffic going in and out of the site. Anyone who lives or drives by the Farmington landfill can describe the traffic going in and out, the mud from the entryway when it rains, and the shingles and other ‘rubbish’ that falls out in the road, causing flat tires and accidents.
Several months ago Ricky Newcomb said he estimated only 3-4 trucks/hour would be added to the roads, but a more realistic estimate indicates an extra 9,000 trucks/year would be going in and going out. Even averaged 3-4 trucks/hour traveling in and back out would mean you would meet large trucks almost every 5 minutes on roads that barely allow cars to pass each other. But in real life, truck traffic isn’t averaged and the trucks will at times come in droves, making narrow roads almost impassable. Placing the landfill in this location is a reckless disregard for the life of anyone who will drive those roads – whether they live near Wenasoga or if they’re driving to or from there to dump garbage.
Then, as if the road situation wasn’t bad enough, the site is in close proximity to homes. Unfortunately, legally a landfill can be placed 500 feet from someone’s home – that’s 500 feet from your house – they get to use your yard as a buffer zone, so your property line could be 250 feet from where they are burying garbage. Imagine, 500 feet from your backdoor you can see the garbage dump – and trust me, you can call it rubbish – but it’s still garbage. Imagine that you had to listen to the dozer or chipper going all day. Would you feel good letting your children play in the yard just a few feet away from a landfill? You can’t plant enough trees to make that feel safe.
Then, there’s the Faulkner cemetery located on the property. It is a beautiful, peaceful family cemetery where loved ones who have passed away are still buried and funerals are still held. Will the grieving families have to hold graveside services with dozers and grinding machines drowning out their prayers? Will the families have to plan private moments of mourning around landfill operating hours? There are no legal restrictions for how close a landfill can be to a cemetery. How long before the Faulkner cemetery becomes a mirror-image of the pauper’s cemetery at Farmington – a pitiful display of disrespect for those unfortunate to be die poor and at the mercy of county government for internment.
There are many other reasons why this is a bad location – geology, driving distance that will surely increase illegal dumping in the county, the costs to open and maintain it, the environmental hazards, childhood cancer…The list goes on and on. There are simply no good reasons to put it there.
Please attend the hearing on October 20 because this is not just a problem for eight or nine families – it is a problem for the whole county. Even if you don’t mind the location because you’re just thankful it’s not in your backyard, you should be concerned if you or a loved one has to travel on these roads to dump at this site. You should be concerned because your tax dollars will pay for the overwhelming costs associated with the start-up and liabilities associated with this site. And if you live or travel on Forrest School Road, Wenasoga Road, Henson-Purdy Road, or Holly Church Road, you will be directly affected by the traffic, debris, and property damage associated with this site.
Please attend the hearing on October 20. Your life could depend on it.
Lisha Hinton Hopper
Sound-Off Response to Fields letter
From the July 31, 2008 Daily Corinthian:
Show us Results
I am writing in response to the July 18 letter by First District Supervisor Keith Fields. In his letter, Keith asks for support and help instead of criticism. Just exactly what does Keith think the group from Wenasoga came to offer at the July 7th meeting?
Instead of being allowed to present their case and offer solutions, they were silenced by a board vote initiated by Jeff Rencher. During that vote, Keith sat there, silent.
Keith mentions he has been working night and day and putting everything he has into the landfill situation. So I challenge him to reveal his findings and present the alternatives to the county.
Keith also invokes his father, who, to his credit, killed the landfill 12 years ago.
I ask Keith now to show the strength of his father, kill this landfill, and spare us this righteous indignation.
Keith Fields responds to Sound-Offs
From the July 18, 2008 Daily Corinthian:
Rethink landfill situation
To the editor:
I am writing this letter to express my strong desire to find another solution to the county’s current landfill situation. My wife, daughter and I live in Wenasoga and we are just as much a part of the community here as anyone else involved in this issue.
We are strongly against the proposed landfill site and want more than anything to be able to find another solution. I have worked hard to search for alternative sites and to keep the people of Wenasoga informed of the possible alternatives found. I do, however, feel people don’t realize the extent of my efforts.
I am working on this day and night and don’t want anyone to doubt or question my loyalty to the people of the 1st District. I can’t make the entire situation magically go away for the county. I can and will try to do the best thing for my district.
I have been ready and willing to hear from anyone who has suggestions or advice. I need your support and help with this instead of criticism.
For those who think I should have been more vocal in our last board meeting, I ask you to understand that a wise man knows when to speak and when to be silent. It would do none of us any good to last at one another.
Each of the other supervisors knows where I stand on this issue. My father fought this landfill site and I will continue in his footsteps. I am one vote on this board and I have to have faith in my fellow board members to look at the options, weigh each one fairly and do the right thing.
I will do all I can to solve this problem, but creating another severely divided board is not the answer. It not only wouldn’t get us anywhere in Wenasoga, but would also cripple the county.
I implore the other four supervisors to be open to other options and solutions. I ask each concerned citizen to offer any suggestions or information that might help us find a better alternative than the proposed solution.
Please know I am putting everything I have into this. It is very important to me and my family. You are the people I love and am proud to work for. I have always stood, and will always stand, for the 1st District.
Keith Fields
1st District Supervisor
Sound-Off Round Up
Here’s a few of the Daily Corinthian Sound-Offs that have come out in favor of the effort to Stop the Forrest School Road Landfill:
July 12, 2008
Time to Stand Up
As I get the news out of this latest tragedy of a board of supervisor’s meeting, I have to ask: “Where is the voice of First District Supervisor Keith Fields?”
The time has come for Fields to stand up for the rights of the citizens of the first district. Simply saying ‘I’m against this’ isn’t going to get the job done.
In a related note, Jeff Rencher was wrong in attempting to vilify a man trying to protect his leukemia-stricken son and then berating the Daily Corinthian for actually printing his letter.
If not for the Daily Corinthian, which I applaud, and the landfill section on wenasoga.com, the citizens of Alcorn County would be totally in the dark.
July 15, 2008
Do the Math
I have a question for Alcorn County Supervisor Gary Ross. There were 709 names on the petition against the proposed site, and yet he was quoted saying “We don’t just represent eight or 10 families in the county, we represent the whole county.”
Common sense would stand to reason a family here in Corinth consists of five to seven people, most likely two to four of them being children. Common sense would also stand those children would not sign the petition. So tell me, how do you figure over 700 names could be construed as “Eight or 10 families?”
This landfill is still being forced against 700 people. My best interest is challenging the board of supervisors to have rubbish dumped 500 feet from their homes and see how welcoming they find it to be. This is clearly not a battle to evaluate the concerns of the people, but a struggle to find the quickest place for a landfill.
Intimidation tactics ridiculous
At Monday’s board meeting (July 7), 3rd District Supervisor Jeff Rencher publicly chastised Greg Hinton for his letter to the editor and attempted to vilify him for trying to protect his son from the harmful debris generated by the proposed landfill. This shameful display didn’t stop there as Jeff berated the newspaper for printing the letters sent in by the citizens of Alcorn County, whom he supposedly represents.
Jeff also dismissed any discussion of the landfill and left the room when citizens tried to read their prepared statement.
This is a shameful display by someone who is supposed to be a public servant. Rencher led everyone to believe he was taking a leadership position on the landfill issue and doing what’s right by the county, but this display of childish behavior is unbelievable and unacceptable.
The fun didn’t stop with Jeff’s temper tantrum. Gary Ross continued with what could only be described as a ridiculous intimidation move.
After dismissing the opposition to the Forrest School Road landfill as a mere “Eight to ten families,” (who apparently don’t matter), Gary was smacked down by a list of over 700 names. In an attempt at citizen intimidation, Ross suggested the 700 people on the petition might have to share in any fine levied against the county. When asked directly, the county attorney, to his credit, said no, they could not.
This outrageous suggestion should be a wake up call to citizens that Gary Ross is ready to throw the citizens under the bus for his board’s shortcomings and will use any means necessary, including the threat of litigation, to silence the voice of the citizens of Alcorn County.
July 19, 2008
Democracy in action?
Several people went to the Alcorn County Supervisors’ meeting to give them the petitions restricting where landfills can be put. The group was mannerly and on the agenda and waited two hours to speak. When their turn came, before they could even speak, the group was screamed at for writing letters to the editor. Jeff Rencher made a motion, and all the board members approved, to not let the group speak.
Can you believe our board of supervisors – who campaigned on being open to the people – was afraid to let people speak? Then the board members ranted about the newspaper printing letters and Sound-Offs about the humane society. The humane society wasn’t even there.
The most awful part was when the man, who wrote Sunday’s letter about his child’s experience with cancer and how they would have to move if they put the landfill by his house, had to apologize to the supervisors for hurting their feelings. Hurting their feelings! Can you believe it? After all that family has gone through, he was the bigger man and apologized while the supervisors wouldn’t even look him in the eye.
Instead of listening to the facts, the supervisors just called it erroneous information. When asked whether 700 signatures meant anything, the supervisors said it just meant the group must’ve worked hard.
I’m afraid to sign my name to this for fear they will retaliate against my family. That’s why people send in Sound-Offs – they’re scared. Of course, when any praise is sent to the newspaper about the supervisors, it’s also in Sound Off. Reckon why that person doesn’t give their name? Who could it be?
They may put the landfill out there, but they won’t be able to blame it on anyone but themselves. Board meetings should be videotaped so everyone can see our democracy in action. The people need an apology.
July 22, 2008
Bring back old supervisors
I would like to comment on the landfill and the way the supervisors are dealing with the citizens of Wenasoga. I have land in Wenasoga and I don’t want the landfill out there. But, I was so upset with the way supervisors dealt with Greg Hinton’s family. I have known the Hinton family over 40 years and I know that their little boy has had a bad time and is sick.
At this point, I’m ready to put the old supervisors back into office.
Address to the Board of Supervisors – Lisha Hopper
When this issue started, I think we all thought it would be a simple fix. We would explain our concerns to the board. You would understand and select a better location. We knew you had campaigned on wanting to make positive change in Alcorn County. Why this time last year, you probably would’ve all been on our side and would’ve responded exactly as we have. Even Gary Ross voted against this in December so I know at one point he disagreed with this location.
As this issue has escalated and I’ve done some soul-searching, I asked myself why this is happening. As usual the Lord provided an answer. As a co-worker was telling me about a Boy Scout trip he took and the miracles the Lord provided in getting him there, he kept telling me how the Bible Verse John 15:16 kept coming up. There was even a Boy Scout troop who had selected it as their troop number. I’m ashamed to say I don’t know all the Bible verses, so I had to look it up and when I did it said, ” Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” It was the answer I needed. God has chosen us to fight this for a reason and we are led to follow this path – no matter how hard it gets.
We know you don’t want this to be the defining issue of your time in office. We know you want to be perceived as men of vision who studied all the facts and made proactive decisions that bettered all of Alcorn County. Not as men who fell into the trap the old board set for you – using you to settle their old political scores. While the old board may have bought the land, you will always be remembered as the Board who put the landfill there. We’ll be reminded every time we drive by it. We’ll be reminded every time someone is killed on these roads. My children’s children will remember it and your children’s children will remember it – it will be that big an issue – because that many people care.
To prove that, we have petitions with the signatures of over 700 concerned citizens of Alcorn County. They’re all 18 and over. While you’ll see a lot of Forrest School Road addresses, you’ll also see names and addresses from all over this county, some from each of your districts. There are also over 40 others who wanted to sign, but it was too late to get the petition to them on Sunday. Their names are listed on a separate paper. All these citizens feel as we do that this site is a bad location and that there should be greater restrictions on where landfills can be placed in our community.
Now we know you can ignore these 700 citizens because you have that power. As a matter of fact, understand that we know by the nature of your position, you have all the power. You have unlimited resources – our taxpayer dollars – to fight us with. You have the power of 3 Yes votes to completely change our lives forever. We only have the power of conviction.
Like David and Goliath – and like Graham Hinton – a little boy who’s just 8 years old who is a leukemia survivor, who lives right beside this site, we know we face incredible odds – but this isn’t about us versus you – it’s about the lives of those who look to you for unbiased, but compassionate leadership – it’s about the 700 people who signed this petition and the families they represent. It’s about one little boy who doesn’t want to move away from the only home he’s ever known – his safe place in a world that’s already been way too cruel to someone so young.
We pray that you won’t add to that cruelty.
Letter to the Editor – Greg Hinton
A landfill. Some of the supervisors want to know what the big deal is with putting a landfill by someone’s house. Some of the supervisors even said we would never know it’s there. Well, let me tell you why my family’s going to know it’s there.
In February 2002, my son, Graham was diagnosed with cancer. He was 3 years old. That’s a really hard thing for a parent to say – my child has cancer. But for us it was a reality. For 4 months, we watched as his little body withered away trying to beat the unthinkable. In May 2002, our doctor at St. Jude told us Graham’s cancer was progressively resistant and we had 2 weeks to get a break. What he meant was, if the cancer didn’t slow down, in 2 weeks we would take Graham home to spend our last days with him. Most parents don’t know what it feels like to sleep with your hand on your child’s heart just to make sure its still beating. We do.
Everyday we prayed for a break and everyday we were thankful he could look at us and want a hug or want to hear someone sing Jesus Loves Me just one more time. Finally, we were blessed with a break 10 days into that 2-week period, but that break meant Graham would have to undergo high dose chemo and total body radiation treatments that could also cost us our child.
We had to make the decision to put our child through treatments that could cost him his life or help save his life – something you should pray you are never asked to do. We agreed we would do anything it took just to have one more day and began the treatments. By mid June he was declared in remission but that meant that he had to undergo a bone marrow transplant.
After his high dose treatments, he was so weak, had been through so much plus the transplant process coupled with his aggressive cancer forced the doctors to give us only a 15% chance of survival after transplant. Our outlook was grim to say the least. But Graham is a fighter and with the Lord’s help and the prayers of many family, friends and strangers we were finally able to bring Graham home almost a year after our nightmare started.
Everyday I thank God for my son and giving us just one more day. We have made it through the first 5 years but our next hurdle is secondary cancers due to his body being weakened by the treatments. No parent wants to think about their life without their child, but for us, that is a very real concern – everyday.
We wake up every morning and know that we have been blessed just to see him. But every bump, every bruise, every cough, every sneeze causes us to think twice. I tell you all this because prior to our coming home we were told that the house would have to be free from fungus, sheetrock dust, or any type of construction debris. Cancer patients have weaker immune systems than healthy people because of the treatment it takes to beat the monster. We don’t know what triggers cancer but we do know there is significant amount of investigation as well as litigation concerning landfills and their link to cancer causing emissions – even rubbish landfills. Construction debris – specifically drywall dust – contains a fungus that attacks and destroys the lungs. It also emits a gas as it decays that has been linked to some cancers. Most of us can fight it off but cancer survivors have to be ever aware of the danger. Our home is barely past 500 feet from the proposed landfill property site. Cancer is scary enough for anyone but for a 3 year old he needed to know there was a safe place. Everyday he looked at me and asked, “Daddy, when can I go home?” So for me this fight is not just about the land – it’s about the lives surrounding the land – it’s about home. By placing this landfill beside our home, they are taking away that safe place and potentially issuing my son a death sentence. That’s something they should wake up and think about everyday!
Our community came to our side when we needed them. Our community is where our son feels safe. Our community is where the land has been preserved through the generations to pass down to our children. By putting this landfill in, the supervisors are taking that land – that privilege – away from my son. By putting in this landfill they are taking away the future he fought so hard for. This, for me, is about a group of supervisors forcing my family out of our home and off our land where today I can provide a safe place to raise my son. My son’s future in the only home he knows will be taken away because we will have to move, all so that the supervisors can dump somebody else’s garbage. I cannot chance my child’s life on the ‘promised safety’ of this landfill.
Because of this, we feel compelled to use every method possible to ensure it doesn’t go in. We are circulating a petition; not only to stop it at this location, but also to stop it from happening anywhere close to homes. If it can happen to us, it can happen to you. No community should have to go through what ours is.
Yes, Gary Ross, Jeff Patterson, Jimmy Tate Waldon, Jeff Rencher, and Keith Fields – we’ll know it’s there. It’s time that you stepped up and treated the people who put you in office better than the piece of garbage you are trying to find a home for.
No child should have to endure what mine has and no child should be forced out of his home and off his land for a piece of garbage. Graham’s experience taught us life is tough enough without having to worry about a landfill being built next door. I know that whatever it takes, I will do the right thing for my son. The question to the supervisors is – Will you really do the right thing? Four years from now, when you are asking for votes and re-election will you be able to say you did the right thing or are you willing to have someone from our community stand up and say that this board of supervisors had an unacceptable disregard for human life.
In closing, I hope everyone understands why this is a big deal and why we’re so upset. Please sign the petition and call your supervisor.
Greg Hinton
(662) 287-2162
(662) 808-1030
Letter to the Editor – Clarence Hinton
Twelve years ago, the board of supervisors realized they made a mistake by selecting the Forrest School Road site for a landfill. They listened to the concerns of the local citizens and determined a hasty decision didn’t have to be a life-long mistake – it wasn’t an election year then either.
My parents bought the land that joins this site in the 1930s and many members of my family still live on this property. Some are starting the fifth generation of Hintons there. But they’re not the only ones. As you look at the other homeowners who live near the site, you’ll find the same scenario – fifth, sixth, even seventh generation families who have worked hard to make this a safe, peaceful community.
Placing a landfill, any type of landfill, in a community disrupts the integrity and neighborhood feel of the community. Property values fall because people don’t want to build houses next to landfills. That’s why you don’t see them being placed by gated communities or golf course homes – and you can’t call it rubbish and think people aren’t smart enough to know it’s garbage. It’s what people no longer want and throw away – that’s garbage. You can’t say it’s harmless because everyday new studies show the dangers associated with mixing people and garbage dumps.
Fifty years ago, it was thought garbage could just be dumped anywhere and that was safe, but that thinking is what created Superfund cleanup sites and Brownfield properties that may never have a beneficial use again. It also destroyed the lives of the people who lived near them. There’s just too much uncertainty to take that chance with people’s lives. It’s a proven fact that landfills don’t belong near homes – even if the MDEQ requirements allow it. We all know what happens when we depend solely on the government to look after our welfare.
Combine the close proximity to homes with the obvious limitations of the roads and the supervisors are neglecting their responsibility to do the right thing – not just because people don’t want to live by a landfill – but because it’s putting people’s lives in jeopardy. You only have to drive down the roads to the site to realize that. While I no longer live beside the site, I and my family will drive the roads to get there and 3-4 trucks an hour doubled for going in and out- even averaged, will mean we’ll meet large trucks almost every 5 minutes on roads that barely allow cars to pass each other. Chip slagging 2.14 miles of road in front of the site won’t reduce the traffic issue nor will it remove the curves, hills, and potholes on Henson Purdy Road or Forrest School Road. Promised improvements after the landfill is put in are like the promise to sell the land 12 years ago – looks good in the paper, but doesn’t fix the problem – and twelve years from now, it will still be a problem. The question then may not be what will they do about the roads, but how many lives have been lost on them?
We ask that you call your supervisor. Ask them if they really think this is the right thing to do or if it’s just the quick way out. Ask them how they will stop it from being put next to your home the next time they’re out of space. Twelve short years ago, we thought we were safe, too, but according to the board attorney the promises made by the old supervisors don’t have to be honored by the new supervisors. It may be our problem right now, but what does the future hold for you?
Sign the petition because if this can happen in our community, it can happen in yours. Twenty years can go by fast and hasty decisions can cost lives.
Clarence Hinton
CR 700
662-287-1757
