5,100 Acre Dump Planned Upstream From North Escambia Draws Protests

February 15, 2011

Protesters gathered at a county commission meeting in Evergreen, Ala., Monday to show their solidarity against a 5,100 acre landfill.

Conecuh Woods LLC has formally applied for the landfill, which will include a 1,600 acre “disposal cell” from Range to Repton to near the Big Escambia Creek. Big Escambia Creek flows southward into Escambia County, Alabama, through Flomaton and drains through a North Escambia swamp into the Escambia River.

Holding signs that proclaimed “No Dump!”, the protesters gathered as the Conecuh County Commission met to discuss plans for public hearing next month on the landfill, which will accept about 15,000 tons of waste per day from across the country.

Many local governments downstream from the proposed Conecuh Woods, including Atmore, Escambia County (Ala.), and the Poarch Creek Indians, have adopted resolutions opposing the landfill.

The Citizens for a Clean Southwest Alabama has hired a law firm to fight the proposed dump.

The public hearing for the Conecuh County Commission to consider approval for Conecuh Woods is set for March 10, 9 a.m., at Reid State Technical College in Evergreen. The commission has until April 2 to make a decision on the proposal.

Pictured top: Residents gather Monday in Evergreen, Ala., to protest a planned 5,1000 landfill.  Photos courtesy WALA FOX 10 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

24 Responses to “5,100 Acre Dump Planned Upstream From North Escambia Draws Protests”

  1. David Huie Green on February 18th, 2011 1:40 pm

    regarding:
    ” NO DUMP PERIOD ”

    Absolutely, everybody should just keep all their trash, save on garbage pickup too.

    David thinking there’s a problem
    with that idea somewhere

  2. BamaGirl on February 16th, 2011 10:33 am

    What is there to discuss…. NO DUMP PERIOD!!!!!! I would have already made the decision… it is a no brainer….

  3. BamaGirl on February 16th, 2011 10:22 am

    Conecuh Woods is promising jobs…. yeah out of staters will get the contracts. We already have a dump just over the county line that is enough for Alabama.
    Let them put one where no one lives. The commissioners of Conecuh County need to take a field trip to the A/W dump just over the county line when it rains and see and smell the crap!!!! I can’t believe it has gotten this far, what is wrong with the commissioners? Do they not have kids? Grandchildren? Even
    a conscious? Hello? Have they taken a brib? What about the person who sold that land? I don’t think he carried his money with him….

  4. Jim W on February 15th, 2011 8:52 pm

    Just one more thing if you check it out the big boys who are trying to sneak this thru live in Florida far away from the hazarods. But not far enough away to not get their money.

  5. Jim W on February 15th, 2011 8:49 pm

    This issue has been going on for a few years. I was at a meeting a few years back on this issue with the same people. They are determined to get this in. People we can not afford to let this happen to or enviroment. Like someone pointed out earlier appx 600 trucks or or better per day on the roads. Simple things who pays for the road widening and up keep and or anything else related to the transportaion of on public lands. I can tell you who, us the taxpayer once again and the investors are getting rich while our poverty level rises. It ruins our pristene enviromet that we have all lived in and I personally think every child should have the right to live in an enviroment that they do not have to worry about the food chain or the drinking water and air. They already have a pretty good size dump not far from where this will be located. It is only a matter of time before disater will hit. Then there is all the methane gas to be dealt with. It is true it can be used but they have not come up with the systems to complete that yet. The only place I know of that is using it is in Federal Way Washington and it is a limited production because of not have the proper equipment in place to make it work like they want. But it is true it is being used and the future may hold a big place for it but until then we have to live with the gases. Just saying. Okay I will get off my soap box now but I grew up in that neck of th woods and still have properties there.

  6. bill on February 15th, 2011 6:31 pm

    i’ll ring the bell down here in the city ,this matter doe’s need attention . we moved ole stinky up the hill a bit but still have the pipe stacks smoking at the mill . good job escambia.com

  7. Freddy on February 15th, 2011 6:18 pm

    No math wiz ask >There is a railroad in this area, is it still operational?

    That’s the old “Alabama Railroad Company” Railroad that runs near Repton, Alabama and on to Flomaton, Alabama where it intersects with the main track to Montgomery, Mobile and Pensacola. According to my Monroe County dot map, that track ends in Beatrice, Alabama in northern Monroe County.
    That means that Trains from up north would have to come to Flomaton to be switched to that Track.
    There are other Tracks that split off the CSX Railroad through Greenville in Butler County that come near that area.
    The old Railroad through Repton is still functional.

  8. NOT IN THE SOUTH on February 15th, 2011 5:23 pm

    I agree it sould be put in the desert not where you have to cut down bunches and bunches of trees!!!!!! And whomever the main money person is…..how far do you live away from this site???

  9. David Huie Green on February 15th, 2011 5:13 pm

    just about got to be by rail if it’s coming from all over the country to bless us

  10. deBugger on February 15th, 2011 5:12 pm

    Grassroots community organizing @ its finest.

    I hope all these folks can maintain their focus & momentum, because the “big boys” that are pushing this monstrosity are certain to bring all the power, influence, $$$$$, & lawyers they can muster, in their attempt to outlast & overpower the public’s interest, solidarity & outrage.

  11. No math wiz on February 15th, 2011 4:22 pm

    correct me if i’m wrong! 15000 tons per day? 2000 pounds per ton. An average truck can carry 25 tons (50000 pounds)
    THATS 600 trucks per day.
    There is a railroad in this area, is it still operational?

  12. David Huie Green on February 15th, 2011 1:50 pm

    “Me” you are so right. Ethanol cost as much to produce gal for gal as gasoline. ”

    Or more, but that is only when using grain as your source of ethanol. If made from sugar cane, it is much cheaper in money and energy expenditure. President Obama is like President Bush and President Clinton and ….. on back in not allowing importation of ethanol from Brazil because that would compete with the Iowa farmers. So instead, we buy fuel from Middle Eastern countries, use it to grow corn, get back a fraction of the energy we used in the growing to get ethanol, support various Middle Eastern “clubs” in the process, increase our national debt, keep the standard of living in Brazil lower than it would be if they could export to us.

    Maybe the domestic cellulosic sources of ethanol will come on line soon. I wonder if the material from this dump could be turned into ethanol.

    Politics, can’t live without them, gonna be shafted with them.

    David remembering pure ethanol
    for fuel in Brazil at the rate of 69 cents per gallon

  13. C W on February 15th, 2011 12:35 pm

    If it were just our local garbage I MIGHT be okay with it, but I don’t want the whole country’s garbage hauled down here. Let em send it somewhere unpopulated and unforested, like western Kansas.

  14. Freddy on February 15th, 2011 12:33 pm

    I was told a little while ago that their planning to put a non biodegradable plastic at bottom of this landfill to keep the residue from mixing with the underground water streams.
    Well this won’t work.
    With down pours like we witnessed a year ago or so here, the water would fill the whole area then wash the residue by land waters.
    It would still end up in our water systems.

  15. pace fl on February 15th, 2011 12:33 pm

    Escambia just received the nations #1 worst drinking water and now they want to make it even worse. Bunch of idiots I tell ya !

  16. Just An Old Soldier on February 15th, 2011 9:56 am

    I recommend that they consider a site in downtown San Francisco, right where they let the vagrants lay in the street and across the sidewalks with their jars full of excrement as they panhandle and harass passersby. They pay them to be there, so why not take this refuse there too?

    On a more serious note, our Attorney General needs to file suit in Federal Court – an immediate and permanent injunction against this action.

    (gee that “spellcheck” is working! Now if I could just get my grammar straight!)

  17. You Who on February 15th, 2011 9:44 am

    “Me” you are so right. Ethanol cost as much to produce gal for gal as gasoline. The Gov wants everybody to think they are doing something about the fuel shortage when really all they are doing is making all thier friends rich by forcing us to by this blended fuel. The sad part is it takes a gal. of oil to produce a gal. of ethanol so really it’s no help at all. But the friends that grow the corn or owns the ethanol plants are making a bunch of money. If anybody knows more then please post so everybody can see how these crooks are ripping us off everyday

  18. You Who on February 15th, 2011 9:36 am

    One thing is for sure. The Fed,State & Local Governments in America due not represent the people. They are all so corrupt and running this country in the ground

  19. Me on February 15th, 2011 9:00 am

    The EPA is too busy raising the ethanol content from 10% to 15% in our gasoline. They can care less if it is destroying the engines in our automobiles, lawnmowers, chainsaws and other small engines. The big oil companies love this, because they get 48 cents of our tax money for every gallon of ethanol they blend into gasoline. Check out who is heavyly invested in the ethanol buisness. Wesley Clark is just one.

  20. Thinker on February 15th, 2011 8:40 am

    People are adamant. Don’t mess with rural Alabamians. It’s good to see this protest coming to a loud and outspoken conclusion. Actions in Egypt must have inspired them. Whoopeee.

  21. Freddy on February 15th, 2011 7:40 am

    Oversight is right, and I would think that the EPA would stop this thing immediately.
    The residues from this waste would be extracted into the under ground water streams by rainfall and highly contaminate the water that bleed into Big and Little Escambia Creeks.
    The under ground streams also supply water for residential water wells.
    Only areas far above sea level should be considered for something like this.

  22. Bully on February 15th, 2011 7:00 am

    Seems like the desert in California would be a better choice…

  23. Freddy on February 15th, 2011 6:43 am

    What a bunch of disrespectful Idiots, to have the nerve to propose dumping the Nations waste into the grounds of South Alabama with its low lying water table and many waterways, knowing that many rural homes have water wells with no filter systems.
    These people need to wake up and realize that this thing needs be in highland area with a high water table and no main waterways or residents anywhere near it.
    A six year old could see that this is all wrong. Why can’t they? BECAUSE “It’s all about Money.

  24. Oversight on February 15th, 2011 6:23 am

    How many acres are in a square mile, 640? Wow, this thing is going to be a huge at 8 square miles!!! This monster is an environmental disaster time bomb just waiting to happen; it is not a question of “if” the dump will leak its toxins but one of when! It may be time to file a Federal suit since this involves “several states.”