State begins cleanup of Benton Co. landfill

BENTON COUNTY, Tenn. — State crews clean up a landfill that closed in Benton County. Workers show residents Wednesday how they plan to make it safe for people in the area.

Workers checked the seal on a piece of plastic Wednesday at the EWS Landfill in Camden, showing residents how they plan to secure waste at the facility.

Michael Melton, who lives nearby, said. “I’m very optimistic and happy that the state is finally moving.”

The Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation took over the facility when the landfill filed for bankruptcy last year.

“We’re basically going to take the waste and put in something that would resemble a ziplock bag,” TDEC Solid Waste Management Director Patrick Flood.

Flood says they will seal the waste, make sure no rain gets in and keep it from getting in groundwater.

“When we are done, it will be safe,” Flood said. “It’ll be the waste that are here will be isolated from the environment.”

Residents say the once dusty, noisy site also used to reek of ammonia, which they say caused health problems.

Camden Alderman Richard Smith says the situation now looks promising.

Melton says he feels a sense of relief after seeing the progress.

“To this point from what I’ve seen they are doing a pretty good job of taking care of the problem,” Melton said. “It’s probably about the best I could hope for at this point.”

The state says it should be finished closing the facility before the end of the year and will monitor it for 30 years to make sure all the systems hold up.

TDEC says this phase of the project cost nearly $4 million.