MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Middle Point Landfill has committed yet another environmental violation, and Murfreesboro residents continue to send odor complaints regarding the landfill to the city.

According to the City of Murfreesboro, Middle Point Landfill has received seven environmental violations within the past year. The most recent violation, according to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, was regarding leachate — or liquid that drains from a landfill — entering dry run-off ditches on both the landfill property's east and west sides.

The leachate contains harmful chemicals also known as PFAS or "forever chemicals," according to Murfreesboro officials. Those chemicals have been linked to cancer, reproductive health risks and more.

City officials said the Clean Water Act notice showed test results with landfill leachate discharge in the East Fork Stones River, which offers drinking water for Rutherford County residents. The city has reportedly found leachate discharge with PFAS, aluminum and ammonia near the landfill — including sites like Walter Hill Recreational Area and near the intake pipe at the Stones River Water Treatment Plant.

Within the past four years, the City of Murfreesboro has received 4,000 complaints regarding the landfill in its public portal, according to city officials. Officials said landfill odor complaints have increased significantly in the last year. Murfreesboro residents can submit complaints online.

Last month, Murfreesboro officials reportedly sent the Middle Point Landfill owners a notice of additional Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act violations. Officials said these violations were separate from the previous violations that prompted the city to sue Republic Services, Inc., and BFI Waste Systems of Tennessee, LLC — the owners of Middle Point Landfill — in 2022.

According to the city, officials have also notified Middle Point Landfill of Clean Air Act violations — including problems with the "gas collection wells, excessive emissions, malfunction of the landfill’s gas collection system, and issues with reporting the volume of air emissions from the landfill."

The city must give notice of the violations to the landfill and state and federal regulators before adding the violations to its pending lawsuit. These notices can be found on the city's website.

News 2 has reached out to BFI Waste Systems and Republic Services for comment.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/murfreesboro/middle-point-violations-murfreesboro-odor-complaints/