Judge halts Middle Point Landfill’s vertical expansion

Court Halts Middle Point Landfill Expansion Amid Murfreesboro Lawsuit

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A Davidson County Chancery Court has temporarily blocked Middle Point Landfill’s plan to expand upward by more than 70 feet, following a lawsuit filed by the City of Murfreesboro. Locals know the hashtag as ‘Mount Trashmore.’

The court granted Murfreesboro a writ of mandamus and injunctive relief, ordering the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) to stop processing the landfill’s vertical expansion application. City officials argued that the landfill’s operator, BFI Waste Systems, attempted to bypass local oversight by submitting its 600-page proposal directly to TDEC rather than first seeking regional approval.

BFI’s proposed expansion would raise the landfill’s height by roughly 70 feet, add capacity for approximately 19 million additional tons of waste, and extend the site’s operational life by an estimated 14 years. The company submitted the application late last year after multiple failed attempts to expand the landfill’s footprint.

What is A Writ of Mandamus and Injunctive Relief?

Murfreesboro filed suit in December, alleging that BFI’s direct filing with the state circumvented the Central Tennessee Regional Solid Waste Planning Board, which had repeatedly denied earlier expansion requests.

“The City asked the Court to stop TDEC from processing BFI’s vertical expansion application until BFI first submits its application to the Regional Board for local review — including a public hearing where citizens have the opportunity to comment,” city officials said. “After reviewing the City’s complaint, the Court directed TDEC to halt the review process.”
Middle Point has made several unsuccessful requests for lateral expansion in recent years. In 2023, the Davidson County Chancery Court affirmed the regional board’s denial of BFI’s most recent appeal. BFI maintains that its current application follows long-established TDEC procedures.
“We understand that several court actions are ongoing. Middle Point Landfill is not a party to this action,” landfill operators said in a statement. “Our application follows TDEC’s established precedent. We’ll let the court process play out and remain focused on safely managing Tennessee’s solid waste.”
TDEC has previously approved two expansions at Middle Point, most recently in 2006, increasing the total landfill footprint to just over 207 acres. Without further expansion, operators expect the site to reach capacity within about seven years.

City officials continue to raise environmental concerns about the landfill’s long-term impact, noting that years of aluminum waste disposal have contributed to air and water pollution. Murfreesboro and BFI are also engaged in a separate 2022 lawsuit alleging violations of the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act.
According to city representatives, contaminants leaking from the landfill have been detected near the Walter Hill Recreation Area and close to the Stones River Water Treatment Plant’s intake pipe. Tests reportedly found harmful “forever chemicals,” along with aluminum and ammonia, in nearby leachate — substances linked to cancer risks, immune system damage, and reproductive health concerns.

Middle Point Landfill operators have denied the allegations and pushed back against Murfreesboro officials, who recently announced they had received their 4,000th odor complaint about the facility. Operators dismissed the city’s claims as “sensationalism.”
The latest developments unfold amid years of ongoing legal battles between Middle Point and Murfreesboro — disputes that have grown to include additional allegations of EPA violations in an amended lawsuit.