SMEC Secures Additional Funding as Legal Fight Over Roberta II Landfill Continues
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SMEC Secures Additional
Funding as Legal Fight Over
Roberta II Landfill Continues
By Shane Gilreath
SCN Contributing Editor
[email protected]
Last Monday, the Scott McCreary Environmental Coalition (SMEC) convened to review the mounting expenses associated with its effort to stop the proposed Roberta II landfill and waste transfer project in North Scott County. Following that meeting, coalition members returned to their respective boards seeking additional financial support to sustain the challenge.
As of press time, the towns of Oneida, Winfield, and Huntsville have each voted to allocate an additional $15,000 per coalition member. The Scott County Commission will meet after press time this week, and the McCreary County Fiscal Court – the Kentucky equivalent to the County Commission – will not vote until February 12th, when the issue is expected on their agenda. Collectively, these actions are anticipated to generate approximately $75,000 in new funding to support SMEC’s legal and technical efforts against the controversial landfill proposal.
In July, SMEC entered into a legal retainer agreement with Nashville-based environmental attorney Lisa Helton. However, Helton’s fees represent only part of the coalition’s growing expenses, however. Speaking at Thursday’s Oneida Mayor and Aldermen meeting, Alderman Jeff Tibbals emphasized that SMEC is also pursuing guidance from environmental engineers to strengthen its case.
Public support for SMEC’s efforts was evident during the meeting. “There’s a lot of people looking at us and in awe of what SMEC has done and what Cumberland Clear has done,” said Kathy Obrusanski, who addressed the Oneida board to encourage continued backing of the coalition. Cumberland Clear President Jennifer Shockley attended the Huntsville meeting – on the same night and time – with the same purpose. Tibbals responded with measured resolve, telling Obrusanski, “We’ll celebrate when we get to the checkered flag.”
For her part, SMEC’s choice of legal counsel brings considerable experience to the fight. Helton is no stranger to landfill litigation, having played a pivotal role in representing the City of Murfreesboro during its successful effort to block a 99-acre expansion of the Middle Point Landfill, a 207-acre site operated by BFI Waste Systems of Tennessee.
That case, along with others, has helped establish Helton’s growing reputation in regional environmental law, particularly in disputes where local communities challenge landfill projects over concerns related to odor, toxic pollution, and long-term regional waste planning.
