A state senate bill that would remove a restriction on landfills in groundwater recharge areas has opponents of a proposed northeast Lamar operation on edge. Lamar County representatives were at the Capitol March 2 to voice local opposition to Senate Bill 110, which would allow construction and demolition landfills in water recharge areas. Despite the opposition, the Senate Natural Resources Committee approved a measure that would order Georgia landfills above aquifers to accept out of state garbage. SB110 would remove restrictions on locating landfills in recharge areas and allow such landfills to be unlined in some instances. The senate committee noted court rulings that require landfills to accept out of state garbage. Sen. George Hooks suggested a statewide moratorium on landfills until protective technology and aquifer biology are studied in depth. The bill would hamper the county’s opposition to the E.T. Carlyle Company’s planned C&D landfill on a local watershed, which has been in litigation for a decade. Commissioner Nancy Thrash said she and solid waste authority director Johnny Poore ‘did a presentation on the dangers of that; it’s going to impact a lot more counties than just Lamar.’ Poore noted that C&D landfill operators can already apply to waive liner and leachate-collection system requirements. That is his major concern with the Carlyle site which is in an area that drains directly into High Falls Lake.
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