Waste Management, the nation’s largest waste services company, is seeking approval to significantly expand operations at its Chastang Landfill in rural north Mobile County, a proposal that has sparked debate Monday over jurisdiction and oversight.
The company is requesting a permit to increase the amount of residential waste accepted at the landfill by nearly 190 percent, from 1,725 tons per day to 5,000 tons. The expansion would also allow the facility to accept garbage from 17 counties across south Alabama, not just Mobile County. The increased waste volume would generate additional revenue for the county.
The proposal came before the Mobile County Commission on Monday, where Commissioner Randall Dueitt questioned why the City of Mobile’s Solid Waste Authority supported the application early in the process. The landfill is located outside the city limits and is not governed by the city, although it would receive the city’s residential waste…