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

Comments

You must be logged in to post a comment.