The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation announced October public hearing dates in its process to develop the 2015-2025 Solid Waste and Materials Management Plan.
Public participation activities for this planning process began in March with a series of four special focus meetings and continued in May with four public input meetings and one Web-based conference. Together, more than 200 stakeholders attended meetings across the state, representing schools, business and industry, local solid waste management departments, development districts, city and county governments, and environmental advocacy groups.
Through this process, submitted written comments and stakeholder surveys, valuable feedback was provided regarding preferred strategies for managing Tennessee’s waste that was given careful consideration in developing the draft plan.
Three public hearings to obtain public comment on the draft plan will be held Oct. 27-29, in Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville. Each public hearing will include a brief introduction followed by an opportunity for comment from participants regarding the draft plan.
Immediately prior to each public hearing, a 45-minute overview presentation will be provided for individuals who would like to learn more or have not reviewed the draft plan in advance. Individuals are not required to attend the overview presentation to participate in the public hearing.
The draft plan will be made available at least two weeks prior to the first public hearing. The draft plan will be posted on the TDEC website at http://www.tn.gov/environment/solid-waste/plan-2025.shtml and can be reviewed at TDEC’s Central Office, Division of Solid Waste Management, or at any of eight TDEC Environmental Field Offices.
Written comments will be accepted at the public hearings or may be submitted through 4:30 p.m. CDT, Friday, Nov. 14, to TDEC’s Division of Solid Waste Management by email at solid.waste@tn.gov or by mail to c/o Larry Christley, TDEC Division of Solid Waste Management, William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower, 312 Rosa L. Parks Ave., 14th Floor, Nashville, Tn. 37243.
After completion of the public hearings, the plan will be revised as appropriate, based on public comments, and presented to the Underground Storage Tanks and Solid Waste Disposal Control Board. The schedule for the public hearings includes:
Monday, Oct. 27 – West Tennessee
1:30 – 2:15 p.m. CDT – Presentation
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. CDT – Public Hearing
Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, Meeting Room A
3030 Poplar Ave., Memphis, Tn. 38111
Tuesday, Oct. 28 – Middle Tennessee*
3 – 3:45 p.m. CDT – Presentation
4 – 5 p.m. CDT – Public Hearing
Nashville Room
William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower, 3rd floor
312 Rosa L. Parks Ave. N.
Nashville, Tn. 37921
*To encourage statewide participation, the Tuesday, Oct. 28, presentation and hearing may be joined via video conference from TDEC Environmental Field Office locations.
Wednesday, Oct. 29 – East Tennessee
1:30 – 2:15 p.m. EDT – Presentation
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. EDT – Public Hearing
Knoxville Environmental Field Office
3711 Middlebrook Pike
Knoxville, Tn. 37921
Stakeholders interested in the process are invited to keep up to date on public input opportunities and materials on TDEC’s website at http://www.tn.gov/environment/solid-waste/plan-2025.shtml.