"We don’t want to be another Flint": Murfreesboro heads to court over landfill

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WZTV) — The City of Murfreesboro is officially headed to court after rejecting a proposed settlement with the operators of Middle Point Landfill, a site that has long been at the center of environmental and public health concerns.

After months of negotiations, the Murfreesboro City Council voted this week to turn down the deal from BFI and Republic Services. The proposed agreement would have required the companies to install treatment systems to reduce PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” and to implement a new plan to monitor odors and groundwater around the landfill.

For nearby residents like Melissa Farley, who live just miles from the site, the decision is personal.

“Well, the smell can get pretty bad,” Farley said. “What’s even more concerning for us is the PFAS in the water, it’s 34 times higher than in average landfills.”

The proposed settlement also included monthly water testing, tighter oversight, and the creation of a shared odor complaint system to address ongoing issues reported by the community.

But city leaders say the plan didn’t go far enough, especially when it came to trust and enforcement.

“There was just no guarantee they were actually going to do anything they said they would do in the settlement,” said Councilmember Shawn Wright.

“With their track record in the past, we just couldn’t take that chance.”

Wright elaborated further on the city’s reasoning.

“I think we probably all had slightly different reasons, but they were similar,” Wright said. “The deal was moving in the right direction and had some good elements — but we’re dealing with a corporate partner in Republic and BFI that has shown a repeated pattern of being untrustworthy.”

“They’ve run PR campaigns, hosted town halls with planted attendees, and even released conflicting statements about annexation,” Wright continued. “They’ve made it hard to believe they’d follow through, even with testing and oversight laid out in the deal.”

City leaders say their decision sends a strong message to the state, the county, and TDEC that Murfreesboro remains firmly opposed to any expansion of the landfill, now or in the future.

“The City of Murfreesboro has no direct say in whether the landfill expands; that falls to the county,” Wright explained.

“But we’ve sent a resolution to the county commission, to TDEC, and our state delegation, urging them to apply the Jackson Law and stop any expansion. We are on the record: the city opposes any growth of Middle Point Landfill.”

Residents echoed that same concern.

“If they can’t follow state regulations, how can we expect them to follow what’s laid out in the settlement?” Farley asked.

The city’s lawsuit against BFI and Republic Services will now move forward in court. Officials say they plan to fight not just for what was offered in the rejected settlement, but for stronger protections and enforceable accountability measures.

“We’re going to court to fight for everything the settlement offered and more, to protect the everyday citizens from their violations,” Wright said.

And for residents like Farley, that legal fight is worth every step.

“We don’t want to be another Flint, Michigan,” she said.

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