Statewide Jackson Law Campaign
Local Regulation of Landfills and Quarrying
SOCM members have had success working together to develop new protections around coal mining, but non-coal mining and quarrying is comparatively unregulated.
The Jackson Law allows municipalities to block the development of irresponsible landfills (and potentially quarries as well). SOCM members are working on a coordinated campaign to get every Tennessee municipality to adopt it!
Current Campaigns
Members in Cumberland and Grundy Counties could be affected by new or expanding sand quarries, which threaten their water, air, and quality of life. By working together and learning from each other, they’ve been able to request public hearings and run local campaigns for better environmental safeguards, and they’re interested in networking with members across the state to develop and advocate for legislation that would protect communities located near quarries and compensate them for the damages caused by extractive work.
Members in Rutherford, Maury, and Cumberland Counties have all run campaigns around solid waste disposal, including shutting down overstuffed landfills, demanding proper permitting, and expanding municipal composting options.
SOCM members in Rutherford County are currently fighting an expansion of the Middle Point Landfill. Rutherford County for several years. If expansion is blocked, as we hope, the consequences of closing this multi-county solid waste storage facility will be felt throughout the state.
Members have already begun sharing information about how local governments can store waste more efficiently and eliminate the amount of waste that enters landfills.