State Board to Decide Waste Policy

State Board To Decide Solid Waste Regulations for $250 million Industry
On Tuesday 3 February, at 9:00 a.m., 17th floor of the L & C Tower, the State Solid Waste Disposal Board will decide whether to release proposed solid waste regulations for public comment. Previously, on 29 September 2008, the Board decided to not release the regulations developed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) following opposition by BURNT, a Nashville based citizens group. The General Assembly required the Board to consider new solid waste regulations in SB 2267/HB 2289 [year 2007]

Said BURNT’s Bruce Wood “We are glad to be part of this re-examination of state solid waste regulations but the proposed regulations are unfunded mandates requiring local governments to ban food waste, yard waste, and electronic waste. The record demonstrates local governments need firm direction.”

Wood cited Tennessee solid waste history–“We are the only state which credits construction waste landfilled as if recycled or composted. We have local governments making reports to the State on the content of the waste stream which are extreme fiction, including Metro Nashville (see letter below). We are asking the State Board to not place these regulations out for public comment–they need more work.”

"Our local governments and business pay $250 million annually to landfill materials which should be managed as a resource for business and compost to create jobs" said Wood.