OUR FILL OF LANDFILLS

By

Jimmy Joe Meeker

Originally published in The Wilson County Advocate, Vol. 1, No. 13 (Misprinted as Vol. 1, No. 10) ©September 10, 1991 Donald W. Gillette

Don’t be too hard on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Chancellor C.K. Smith made them do it; he ordered them to approve the zoning change.

The Wilson County Zoning Board of Appeals gave its approval Friday to Albert Hemontolor’s application to open a landfill in the Cedar Grove community; however, according to Hemontolor’s attorney, Bill Martin, the restrictions on the landfill may make opening impossible.

I’ll be damned. Someone won one for the Gipper.

I hope they throw a party tonight and invite Hemontolor as their guest of honor. I hope they invite me, too, because I’m bored out of my mind.

The Board stipulated seven separate restrictions on the opening of the landfill, one of which entails widening Cedar Grove Road to accommodate the vehicles necessary for the hauling of waste.

William Griggs, an environmental specialist hired by Hemontolor (and I wonder where his loyalties lie) stated that he had seen loaded garbage trucks on roads worse than Cedar Grove Road.

Yeah, and I’ve seen pilots flying drunk, parents beating kids, and beautiful girls with ugly men, but that doesn’t make it right.

This statement was intended to make the Board week like wounded hyenas, toss out the restrictions, and embrace the landfill with open arms, but it didn’t work.

It didn’t work because more than 60 residents of the community showed up at the meeting to voice their displeasure. Some government officials will listen. It takes one hell of a turnout, but they will pay attention. 60 votes may mean something after all.

The other restrictions on the landfill are:

►Maintain a 250 foot buffer along Cedar Grove Road, whatever that means.

►Eliminate the blind spots along the road and upgrade the culverts and bridges, which will cost a fortune.

►Develop a landscaped ridge behind the buffer to hid the landfill from public view. They should have thrown in two dozen cans of Lysol a day to hide the stench of cantaloupe rinds and chicken bones.

►Establish reasonable hours of operation like midnight to one.

►Prevent surface water from running off the landfill which is going to be one King Hell of a job since the place is full of sinkholes and we’ll all be drinking garbage inside of a month.

►Limit the amount of dust and mud that will be brought onto the road from the landfill—fat chance.

But watch out, Cedar Grove, here comes the kicker. Either Hemontolor or the Road Commission will be responsible for widening the road; one of the other.

Do you think the County Road Commission might widen the road and let the landfill open?

Do you remember when Wayne Drennan told you he supported whatever Gilbert Graves wanted to do?

You might note that Wayne Drennan, County Commissioner for the Cedar Grove area, hasn’t been to a single meeting to support community wishes. You might also recall that he voted for Val Kelley to be the new Road Superintendent.

You might also reach back and remember that Gilbert Graves told Hemontolor that his land would never be condemned and sold as a County Landfill as long as he was a commissioner.

Is this beginning to come together?

Graves is at it again, but now you know the facts.

So good luck, boys. You’ll need it.

No one here gets out alive.

XXX