Hundreds of residents from Adamsville and West Jefferson spent Thursday night voicing concerns at a public input meeting hosted by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management as the agency considers renewing a permit for a landfill in the area, currently up for renewal.

“Personally as a lifelong resident of west Jefferson, I never dreamed someone could flush a commode in New York and it would come running out in my back yard,” West Jefferson Mayor Charles Nix said.

ADEM told meeting attendees that Big Sky Environmental is currently in compliance with the permitted regulations, a fact echoed by company officials at the meeting. Residents who spoke at the meeting tonight have little care about that compliance, and argue that the current permit creates a terrible odor and fly infestation in their town due to imported sewage sludge being dumped at the landfill. The permit allows the company to dump up to 25,000 tons per day.

“We haven’t done anything to deserve this stuff being brought here, and I just ask you to stop it,” West Jefferson resident David Brassfield said.

ADEM provided no response to public comments tonight, but did insure that every concern would receive a written response no matter what decision is made regarding the permit. If Big Sky Environmental’s permit is renewed as the company has asked, it would be valid for a 5 year period.

The agency also did not indicate a time frame in which a decision would be made.