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Landfills are a popular disposal method for municipal waste, but they can become a health risk if not properly managed. Along with several other defendants, a landfill in Tallapoosa County, Ala., is facing a lawsuit after landowners claimed that pollutants from Stone’s Throw landfill exposed nearby residents to hazardous chemical compounds.
According to attorneys with Beasley Allen Law Firm, residents from Ashurst Bar/Smith community have been exposed to the chemical compound leachate. Leachate is a foul-smelling, sludge-like substance that contains chemical levels above recognized health advisory levels and can cause multiple health problems, including thyroid disease, cancer, and weakened immunity.
Beasley Allen attorney Gavin King stated, “The families living near this landfill shouldn’t suffer at the hands of large waste management corporations. They did not ask for this landfill to be in their backyard, and they should not suffer the consequences of its mismanagement. There are others in the community affected by the defendants’ reckless conduct.” King hopes the case will encourage them to come forward and hold the defendants accountable.
The Beasley Allen Law Firm also stated that the defendants were aware that pollutants from their landfill were flowing to residents’ properties and failed to make the necessary repairs to mitigate this issue and prevent human health and environmental risks.
Stone’s Throw Landfill was under scrutiny in 2017 when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s External Civil Rights Compliance Office (ECRCO) closed a 14-year discrimination complaint brought against the corporation that allowed Stone’s Throw to operate. ECRCO found insufficient evidence to support the claims of alleged civil rights violations of residents in the surrounding communities. However, the investigation revealed that residents had observed waste left uncovered overnight and during the weekend.
Landfills have long since been a traditional method of disposition for waste, but mismanagement can lead to detrimental health consequences for those living nearby. When chemicals leak into the soil and pollute the groundwater, that water supply flows into drinking water, and long-term exposure to such harsh chemicals can cause severe health issues. This is especially common when electronic waste is discarded in landfills.
E-waste should always be disposed of via IT asset disposition facilities like HOBI. HOBI collects retired IT hardware and ensures proper disposal via recycling. Recycling IT assets mitigate any risk to human health and the environment.
For more information about our ITAD services, call 817-814-2620, or contact HOBI at sales@hobi.com.
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