Following BFI Waste Systems of Tennessee’s move to dismiss an appeal in the Tennessee Court of Appeals that could have allowed its Middle Point Landfill to expand, Republic Services (the parent company of BFI) continues its efforts to expand in Rutherford County. Meanwhile, area residents wait to see how the next chapter of local waste disposal will unfold.

The City of Murfreesboro initially touted BFI’s move to dismiss as “a victory for the residents of Murfreesboro, especially those residing near the formerly planned expansion,” although those area residents, many of whom have been long opposed to the landfill expansion, soon realized that the possibility of expansion for the landfill—known affectionately as Trash Mountain—is still alive and well.

Now that its plans to expand on its own land to the north have been scrapped, Republic Services has its sights set on expanding onto county-owned land to the south of its existing site.

Litigation Ongoing

After nearly four years of litigation, BFI Waste Systems of Tennessee relinquished its request for a 99-acre landfill expansion at Middle Point Landfill. The Central Tennessee Regional Solid Waste Planning Board and the City of Murfreesboro contested the expansion on environmental considerations and inconsistencies with the regional plans for waste management.

A 2023 ruling by the Davidson County Chancery Court agreed, upholding the board’s unanimous rejection of Middle Point’s expansion. BFI appealed, but just prior to that court’s decision, BFI opted to withdraw its appeal.

“It is telling that BFI filed to dismiss its appeal only after oral argument but before the Court rendered its decision,” said Murfreesboro City Attorney Adam Tucker. “It would seem that BFI had serious concerns that an adverse ruling by the Court of Appeals—one upholding the board’s decision—could have had on any future application to expand its operations to the south.”

Although that court battle involving the 99-acre expansion to the north has been resolved, Murfreesboro officials remain a part of another lawsuit against BFI and Republic Services involving federal environmental laws to address continued pollution concerns at Middle Point.

Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland and other local authorities reaffirmed their commitment to preventing future landfill expansions, specifically efforts by Republic Services to extend their geographic area of operations.

“The City has been and remains steadfastly opposed to any expansion of the landfilling operations at Middle Point, be it an expansion to the north as was at issue in this lawsuit or an expansion to the south onto the old Rutherford County Landfill that BFI and its parent corporation, Republic Services, are currently lobbying the County Commission to approve,” Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland said in a statement.

Republic’s New Proposal

In light of the the conclusion of the court battle, Republic has pivoted its expansion approach, now with its sights set on 288 acres owned by Rutherford County to the south of the existing landfill, a neighboring piece of land that contains a now-closed county-run landfill and the site of a future county solid waste transfer station.

Republic has also recently unveiled its “economic benefits package,” aimed to demonstrate the economic advantages to the community in order to gain approval for its expansion and plan forward in the rural Walter Hill area.

Republic Services says its $1.13 billion economic benefits package could transform Rutherford County waste management. The “Rutherford County First” proposal promises to end long-term waste disposal costs for county residents, enhance environmental protections, and produce new revenue opportunities for the county—without charging local taxpayers.

One feature of Republic’s offer is the guarantee to offer Rutherford County citizens free waste disposal for the next 50 years. The program is anticipated to reduce household costs by an average of $201 annually, amounting to an estimated $769 million in total savings for the county.

Republic Services has also pledged to pay back $26 million in debt the county owes on a present transfer station. Republic Services intends to convert this plant into a state-of-the-art recycling and diversion center.

One of the key issues of Republic’s proposal is the volume of off-county trash transferred to Middle Point Landfill. Under the new proposal, Davidson County residential trash will no longer be disposed of in the landfill. The proposal seeks to reduce the overall volume of incoming waste, eventually lowering landfill acceptance to 50%. The measure has been put in place by Republic to extend the landfill life and ease the environmental burden on Rutherford County, according to statements made by the company, making its case to take over operation of the formerly closed Rutherford County landfill.

By increasing the fee charged on trash accepted from outside the county, the county would gain an additional $70 million in revenue, according to Republic Services Area Director Mike Classen, emphasizing that the proposal is tailored to reflect the needs and expectations of Rutherford County residents.

“We tried to craft this to reflect what Rutherford County is looking for. What we’re proposing is to guarantee free disposal for the citizens of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County for the next 50 years,” Classen stated.

He reiterated the plan’s commitment to reduce the volume of annual waste that enters Middle Point by half and keep Metro Nashville trash out of the plant.

“We’re not a landfill company—we’re a recycling, waste, and environmental solutions company. We are taking this in hand and trying to be a leader—to engage everybody in the process and hear all sides,” Classen said.

While Republic Services argues that its bid would yield tremendous financial and environmental return, many locals and officials residents remain skeptical about the long-term benefits of allowing the landfill to expand.

Local Lawmakers Skeptical

“Middle Point’s bid to continue filling Rutherford County as the state of Tennessee’s garbage can is absurd,” Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr said earlier this year in a press conference opposing the offer from Republic Services. “No figure is worth our community’s health and well-being. We’re saying no to 700,000 tons of foreign trash trucked into our county and dumped annually.”

Tennessee State Representative Bryan Terry has been on the record for years expressing concerns over the long-term impact on the Rutherford County community and remains opposed to the latest proposal.

“My constituents strongly want no longer to be the dumping ground of Middle Tennessee,” Terry stated. “Any proposal that would recommend our community to continue to bear this burden for 50 more years while a solid waste company is able to generate millions, if not billions, during that span of time is more than concerning. The proposal is not worthy of serious consideration nor worthy of anchoring oneself to for negotiation.”

The promise of free waste disposal and generating revenue to the county in the proposal is a possible stimulus to the Rutherford County community’s economy, but plenty of questions regarding environmental concerns and the county’s role in regional waste management remain.

While the debates continue and Rutherford County considers Republic Services’ economic benefits package, area residents can get involved with their county commissioners and voice their opinion on what the future of their community’s waste disposal should be. Arguments surrounding waste disposal and landfill management in Rutherford County are far from over.

Contact Rutherford County Commissioners here: http://rutherfordcountytn.gov/list_of_commissioner

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Additional Reporting by Bracken Mayo
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Landfill Photos by Ashleigh Newnes
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