has grown out of the land they purchased from the city of Memphis in 1999 and feels that it is now their right to be able to expand onto 30 additional adjacent acres purchased without receiving an approval to expand—something those who live in the area are not willing to agree with, under no circumstances. My plea was for individuals, since the city opened arguments up to “ALL INTERESTED PROPERTY OWNERS,” to join us at City Hall, 125 North Main Street, in the first floor City Council chambers to fight this request to expand because it impacts: 1) Our health through releases or disease or allergy-causing matter in the form of disease-causing organisms, cancer-causing substances, dust or other respiratory irritants, noise and odors, and a host of other undesirable scenarios into the air we breathe, soil we grow our food in, and/or water we drink, cook with, and wash ourselves and everything else with; 2) Our peacefulness because of sounds that disturb us in our homes which makes it difficult to relax, concentrate or even share a conversation with others, early in the morning and late night noises make sleep disruptive, backup beepers and the clang of tail gates slamming against heavy truck bodies, and public address system outdoor speakers are annoyingly loud and another uncontrollable source of noise. 3) Our ability to breathe fresh air is hindered because when odors are bad they are offensively smelly at distances of up to four or five miles depending on the strength of the wind, something no man can control. Some items release dangerous hydrogen-sulfide odors and solid waste that contains organic matter like egg shells, banana peels, fruits, and vegetables, used diapers (youth and/or adult), other food wastes, pet waste, etc. or “putrescible waste” is capable of being decomposed by microorganisms and are of such a character and proportion as to cause obnoxious odors and to be capable of attracting or providing foods for birds, rats (we have those already roaming around and coming inside our homes where we live invading our property). We’ve been informed that odor neutralizers and deodorizers have been installed, but those are cheap answers to the expense problem we are attempting to address—nauseating smells. We are not interested in having odor control blankets installed alongside fans to further blow these odor neutralizing agents across our neighborhood and we have never seen this organization using carbon scrubbers to clean the odorous water they are obviously creating. Furthermore, an active gas extraction system, and not deodorants, is the most reliable means of controlling these types of odors. 4) Our property values are plummeting downward. This place can be seen, it sits right off of Brooks Road and the proposed expansion request moves it directly adjacent to the actual street. This facility can be heard with their loudly beeping trucks all throughout the day and night, including the sounds from outdoor announcement systems, and employees whose voices carry with the smell in the wind right through our walls, windows, and doors. And this place can be smelled and, unfortunately, the smell is anything but a pleasant one. These are all factors that are known to lower property values, properties that we have paid for in many cases and had always planned to die in, but not from cancer-causing diseases floating through the air because of Waste Connections of TN, LLC operations. Studies are available from other states that have proven property values are lower when waste facilities are close by. Maybe we need a study on the impact of this facility in Memphis, huh? 5) Our streets and the tremendous amount of truck traffic especially including those that disobey the “NO TRUCKS” signs and travel, illegally and at high rates of speed, on McCorkle and Graves Roads, which can also have the final result of significantly lowering property values and increasing the possibility of accidents and uncontrollable noises. 6) Our natural water sources because when it rains and that water comes in contact with waste being transferred to other locations but is stationary at this transfer station, this mixing of water with already decomposing waste creates a high-contaminated liquid known as leachate which can then easily get into underlying groundwater and the nearby Nonconnah Creek waterway. Regardless as to what measures are being undertaken, nothing being done currently or that can be done in the future, will prevent eventual water pollution. We need your assistance to help our City Council members to understand that the key to minimizing the Waste Connections of TN, LLC waste facility impact involves minimizing the amount and type of waste requiring transferring from this 621 East Brooks Road location and that means NO EXPANSION, NO EXPANDING, NO BURMS, NO MOVING THE OFFICES, NO REBUILDING, NO MORE PARKING AND/OR STORAGE OFF THE APPROVED PREMISES, NO MORE FAVORS, NO MORE PROMISES TO PASS THIS MONSTROSITY in our neighbors backyards. This was put on hold for 30 days... Waste facilities should be located in industrial areas and away from homes. If this facility was “grandfathered in,” it needs to understand that being grandfathered in only refers to continuing present operations UNTIL you outgrow them. Nowhere does it say being grandfathered in gives you the right to expand! If you must move something, move your waste collection facility, not your offices! Your waste collection operation should be located at least 1,500 feet from our homes. Stop traveling on our residential streets. They are prohibited and signs are posted. If the police won’t enforce the rules, we will. Your proposed new facility may have state-of-the-art equipment to control odors, dust, airborne pathogens, and allergens, but your existing facility does not. If you need to build, then you need to move to an industrial area to do so, not on Brooks Road right behind our homes. Thank you, Dr. Yvonne D. Nelson Please join us at 5:58 PM on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at 905 E. Shelby Drive and visit the Waste Connections tab at iLoveShelbyCounty.com for updates 27
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