Features Editor

Brundidge residents will have an opportunity Monday to speak or forever hold their peace concerning the request by Browning-Ferris, Inc. (BFI) to extend its landfill permit to include all states east of the Mississippi River.

A public hearing will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at Brundidge City Hall to give concerned citizens an opportunity to personally voice their views on the merits or lack of merits of the request by BFI. The hearing will also provide residents an opportunity to get answers to any questions they might have as to the affect the extended landfill permit will have on the community.

Britt Thomas, city manager, said when a company makes a request to a host government to change or alter its service area and permit, a public hearing must be held.

"If a public hearing is not held, then the request is automatically approved," Thomas said. "The mayor and city council wanted the citizens of Brundidge to have an opportunity to express their concerns or views on the request by BFI."

The request is to expand the landfill service area from 18 counties in Alabama to all areas east of the Mississippi River, including Louisiana. The request will also increase the maximum tonnage from 1,500 a day to 7,500.

"We are still working to finalize the fine details of the contract for the city council to consider as a whole," Thomas said.

"It’s been a good back-and-forth discussion between the city and BFI. We feel reasonably good that we will end up with a document to which the council can give serious consideration."

Thomas said any time the tonnage is increased the revenue for the city will increase and that’s good news for the city.

Thomas said over the last few months, he has spoken to several civic clubs about the request by BFI and, without exception, the comments he has heard have been "go for it."

"Of course, that’s a limited number of people, but those who have commented seem to think that the city has done its homework and that this is a good move," Thomas said.

"We have engaged consultants to assist us and we believe, based on what we know, that environmentally speaking, what we do in granting the request will be okay in the future. With all of the monitoring and testing that is required, what we do will not have a negative effect on the environment down the road."

The public is invited and encourage to attend the public hearing and to express their views.