By Hannah Petersen
Due to an agreement spearheaded by a citizens group in Boyd County, Ky., Big Run Landfill will stop accepting waste brought in by rail and will transition to a regional landfill accepting trash only from within 75 miles of the site. According to Boyd County Judge-Executive Steve Towler, the residents of Boyd County saw the last “trash train” delivery on April 19, after raising complaints of disruptive odors for nearly two years.
Ending the trash trains was the result of an agreement between the Citizens of Boyd County Environmental Coalition, Boyd County Fiscal Court, Big Run Landfill and the state Department for Environmental Protection. The agreement not only eliminates all rail deliveries but also requires the closure of large areas of the landfill and installation of air monitoring systems around the property.
“It was something I knew had to be taken care of,” says Towler. “This agreement brought everyone together to reach a beneficial and reasonable conclusion.”
Big Run is Kentucky’s largest landfill and holds nearly 43 million tons of waste within a mile of a high school and nearby homes. For years, Big Run had accepted waste brought on trains from as far away as New Jersey, according to The Herald Dispatch.
Related Articles
Latest News
More Stories
Neighbors Help Neighbors
A photo essay that celebrates the volunteer spirit of the grassroots group Hurricane Helene WNC and speaks to the resourcefulness, collaboration and hard work embodied by thousands and thousands of volunteers, first responders and aid workers across the region after Hurricane Helene.
Halloween Approaches, and Night School Is in Session
The House of Art in Bluefield, West Virginia, looks like a haunted tower, making it the perfect location for its sixth annual haunt event: Night School. The Night School will be open every Friday and Saturday night through Oct. 31.
‘The Most Perfect Act of Love’
Hundreds of people attended the second annual Affirming Sumner Pride celebration on a 24-acre farm dubbed “Fruity Farm” in Bethpage, Sumner County, Tennessee.
Signs of Life: Endangered Bats Found in Nantahala for First Time in More Than a Decade
In the Nantahala National Forest, a team of biologists spotted Indiana bats, an endangered species that hasn’t been seen in North Carolina for the last 11 years.
‘First Line of Defense’
During Hurricane Helene and its aftermath, rural fire departments and other first responder hubs played critical roles in keeping their communities safe, even without power and cut off from outside support for days or weeks after the storm. Two years later, plenty of work remains to ensure these hubs have the resources they need to operate day to day and be ready when emergencies or natural disasters strike.
The Rocky Road — and Bridge — to Recovery
Hurricane Helene is estimated to have damaged nearly 7,000 private roads and bridges in Western North Carolina. Two years later, many restoration projects are complete, but the journey hasn’t been easy — and isn’t over for others.
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Leave a Comment