At an Oct. 9 workshop, the county attorney explained that Cheatham County does not agree to a law that gives the county commission the role of approving new landfills. “Cheatham County is not on the list of counties that have consented to this legislation, so now approval of new landfills in Cheatham County will rest entirely with the Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation without input from the county,” the attorney said.
The attorney told commissioners that the law allows the county commission to seek local approval for proposed landfill sites, including sites within city limits (in which case, the city must also approve as long as the site is within one mile of the city limits). Commissioners asked staff to draft local legislation to agree to the legislation. The county attorney has drafted language for further consideration, and the commission said it may discuss it further at a later meeting.
No opt-in decisions were made at the workshop. Staff will prepare legislation for future consideration so the commission can decide whether to seek local approval authority for new landfills.
