ADEM application to reopen controversial Red Hill Landfill in Bay Minette withdrawn

BAY MINETTE, Ala. (WALA) - The Baldwin County Commission will not be reopening the Red Hill Landfill. This comes after much outcry by Bay Minette residents living nearby. The Baldwin County Solid Waste Authority had proposed putting the landfill back in service to address a growing need in that part of the county.

After weeks of discussions and public input, on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, the Baldwin County Commission voted unanimously to withdraw the ADEM application to reopen Red Hill Landfill. Had there been a hard “no” vote, no new site applications could be submitted for one year. By withdrawing the application to ADEM, it will allow the county’s Solid Waste Authority to begin looking for other suitable sites.

“The reason Red Hill was so great is because we could have both facilities in one place. We could have the transfer station with the C and D facility, so for us, hauling would be reduced greatly, so that is still the charge,” explained BC Solid Waste Authority CEO, Terri Graham. “That is still the idea, so just finding a location where we can do that, so it needs to be a big piece of property.”

A search for the right piece of property will now begin. While withdrawing the Red Hill application is a step in the right direction for concerned property owners, some are still worried this will one day come up again.

“How do we get to this, that I don’t have to come back, or I don’t have to,” asked one resident during public comment? “How do we get to where you would consider doing this in perpetuity, so we don’t have to come back too?”

District 1 County Commissioner, Jeb Ball responded, “I don’t know the answer to your proposal right this second. I think that that will be something that we will be diligently…you know, we’ll work on that.”

Resident concerns ranged from increased truck traffic to property values and environmental impacts. For those who’ve attended every public meeting about the issue and voiced their opinion, the result has been encouraging.

“Right from the beginning, a lot of people said, ‘Well, they’re just going to do what they want to do or whatever. There’s no point in even trying.’ We have tried and we stuck together, and they did listen, so I’m very pleased with it. I feel that I can trust the system more than I did when I started this,” said Tim Murray whose property line is shared by the landfill.

There is no specific piece of property being considered yet but commissioners said it will need to be in north Baldwin County to address the continued growth there. Solid Waste officials hope to have another proposal package ready to present by next summer.