Sludge tank to be removed

This storage bin on U.S. 41-A South was slated to store sludge from chicken waste. Now, it will be removed. (T-G Photo by Brian Mosely) [Order this photo]

A dispute over a storage tank that was built to store agricultural sludge on U.S. 41-A South was resolved after an agreement was made to purchase the land and dismantle the structure.

During Tuesday's Bedford County Board of Commissioners meeting, a group of citizens that were concerned about the tank owned by Wayne Simons were directed to the Solid Waste Authority board to express their views.

The group had been expected to show up in force at the board's Thursday night meeting, but instead, it was represented by Gary Throneberry, who said the matter had been resolved between neighbors.

Gary Throneberry said he and his neighbors were happy with the arrangement worked out with Wayne Simons over a storage bin on U.S. 41-A South. (T-G Photo by Brian Mosely) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Throneberry said he had presented a petition with more than 100 signatures to the county commission, protesting the construction of the tank on the New Tullahoma Highway, but was referred to Solid Waste.

But between Tuesday night and Thursday night, the opposing sides of the issue had "come to an agreement and there is no longer an issue," Throneberry said.

Throneberry also said he will withdraw the petition next month.

Simons told the Authority that Throneberry and others were concerned that there would be an odor from the tank since it was intended to hold sludge from the Tyson Foods poultry plant in Shelbyville.

He said a couple of neighbors made him an offer to buy the land and Simons said he has six months to remove the 500,000 gallon tank from the property.

Simons credited County Mayor Eugene Ray with helping to facilitate the deal.

Simons said he had bought the tank from Parish Patch and that Tyson had just completed construction of a 4 million concrete gallon tank to hold sludge from the plant.

Solid Waste Coordinator Gay Ervin stated that Simons' operation is legal and has been approved by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).

Around 20 farm properties in the county are approved to receive the sludge injections, which are derived from food processing plants around the region.

Simons stated that 15 to 20 years ago, the sludge would have simply been dumped into the Duck River and that the substance is 96 to 97 percent water.

Ervin also said that Paul Haney had threatened to file a lawsuit against Simons, the county and the state for allowing the sludge to be injected into farm land near his home, but TDEC officials have assured Ervin that what Simons is doing is completely legal.

Terra Renewal Services of Arkansas holds the permit for the sludge from the food plants and Simons just spreads the substance to the approved sites.

Recycling payments

In other business, Highway Superintendent Stanley Smotherman, who manages waste disposal for the authority, told the board that South East Recovery Group was some $6,000 behind in payments for scrap metal recycling.

The Authority voted to send a certified letter to the company to ask payment to be made within 30 days. Smotherman said the company was behind on payments for two and a half months.

South East Recovery Group was awarded the contract last December at 65 percent of the average of the first and third Friday's price of metal on the New York Stock Exchange, after Middle Tennessee Metal Recovery fell behind on payments to the county last year due to falling metal prices caused by the economic downturn.

The Authority also approved accepting new language in the employees handbook to allow leave for military deployments.

Smotherman also asked the board for permission to seek bids for a new truck for the department, which was approved. The cost of the truck is expected to be around $115,000.