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No signs of stench or toxic wastes are visible at the Madison County Sanitary Landfill. After filling up its landfill seven years early, the county has had to find an alternate way of disposing of the county’s trash. Since the closing of the landfill, the county has trucked its waste to another landfill in Tennessee. It also recycles many materials, which are marketed and distributed to various companies to be reused. With 400-plus acres of land and a closed section that covers only about two acres, the county uses the landfill property for some interesting things. For instance, the Madison County police department has partnered with the landfill to use some of the excess land for a shooting range to practice. Despite the mounds of dirt and occasional loose article of recycling on site, the landfill has something that might not typically be seen at other landfills. About 100 yards from a service road, a graveyard occupies the property.
Before Madison County bought the landfill to service its community, the property once belong to a family that owned a farm. The property was then sold to Madison County to become a repository for its waste. This cemetery is still actively used today. The family still maintains it and has all rights to it, even though the graveyard sits oddly adjacent to the part of the land that once accepted all the trash for the county but has been closed because it filled up. From time to time the facility, which still processes recycling, has to close for the day because of a funeral and a burial that takes place on site. The landfill also is home to wildlife, including horses, bears, deer, fish and beavers. The landfill employees have done their best to help preserve the environment and the safety of the animals. There is currently a pond on sight that serves as a habitat for beavers and trout. Give us your feedback. We value your opinions. Write us at hilltop@mhc.edu. Be sure to include your full name and the story you reference. See our letters policy. The Hilltop reserves the right not to post anonymous comments, personal attacks, or any comments that could be judged slanderous, that make unverifiable allegations of fact, or use language we consider in bad taste. | HOME | ARCHIVE | OPINIONS | EMAIL US |
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