What’s burning at the landfill?

MOODY, Ala. (WBRC) - The Environmental Protection Agency is testing the air at the landfill in St. Clair County. They’ve placed air monitors on-site to collect data which should take about a week.

Residents who live nearby continue to wonder what exactly is burning at the landfill. The fire started more than 40 days ago and people say they’ve seen tires and other unauthorized materials.

According to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, the site was only supposed to be used to discard green waste.

Now the County Commission says the monitors from the EPA will show if there is hazardous waste or chemicals present.

“Unallowed refuge from construction projects,” says Stan Batemon, St. Clair County Commission Chairman. “Possibly roofing. What do you do with your tires. We have laws in the state on what to do with tires but it’s a lot cheaper if you can throw them off a hill into a hole. So if tires have been burning, who put the tires there and is there a significant concentration of tires that one person did?”

St. Clair County Attorney James Hill says once the EPA completes its analysis and makes the data public everyone will know what’s been burning for over a month now. All the information will be made public and the St. Clair County Commission says it will also help the company they choose to extinguish the fire.

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