By Brittney Whipple and Genesis Haller
Welcome to the virtual Alcoa/Maryville/Blount County Landfill tour!
Before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created and outlawed open dump sites, Blount County had various community dumps, the largest being in Alcoa. Unlike a dump, which is an unregulated, unsanitary, and illegal site for depositing garbage, a landfill is a regulated and sanitary area of excavated land used for the purpose of storing waste. In 1974, the City of Alcoa, City of Maryville, and Blount County partnered to create a sanitary landfill.
The landfill is operated by 17 staff members: a manager, Sr. lead worker, lead workers, heavy equipment operators, service workers, and a mechanic. The landfill is owned by the City of Alcoa, City of Maryville, and Blount County and is operated by the City of Alcoa.
Scalehouse
The first stop at the landfill is the scalehouse. When either a commercial or personal vehicle comes to the landfill with waste, it must be weighed. After the waste is disposed of, the vehicle exits through the scalehouse to be weighed again. The difference is taken from the first and second weighing to see how much garbage was dropped off, and therefore how much to charge.
The landfill used to be funded by tax dollars. However, that was changed in 1992 to a tipping fee system. This system is more effective because it guarantees the landfill has sufficient funds to keep up with operating costs. It costs $58/ton to drop off solid municipal and demolition waste, with a minimum of $14.50 for loads that weigh under 500 pounds. Each day, there are around 447 tons of waste that enter the landfill (this includes household, demolition, and special waste).
Vehicles entering and exiting via the scalehouse at the entrance of the landfill
Recycling
Although household recycling is not accepted at the landfill, tires, large appliances, electronics, used motor oil, empty propane tanks, and scrap metal are accepted for recycling.
The landfill has a contract with Liberty Tire to recycle tires. Tires that can still be used are resold and those that cannot be reused are recycled into other items such as rubber mulch, crumb rubber, highway barriers, parking blocks, and even be mixed into pavement. Tire-derived fuel is another use for recycled tires. The landfill works with Blount County Iron and Metal to recycle large appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, washers/dryers, hot water heaters, etc. The landfill has a contract with Scott Recycling to collect electronics such as computers, computer equipment, TV equipment, and medical equipment.
Refrigerators collected for recycling
Air Curtain Incinerator
Rather than burying brush waste and taking up space in the landfill, brush waste and wooden pallets are burned to ashes in an air curtain destructor. Air curtain destructors are designed primarily as a pollution control device and use a propane torch and a large fan with an electric engine to generate a curtain of air. This curtain of air acts as a trap over the top of the burn chamber. The wood debris is dumped into the chamber and ignited with the propane torch. Once the fire has gained strength, the air curtain is turned on. The air curtain traps most of the smoke particles and causes them to re-burn directly under the air curtain at a temperature of 1800 degrees F. These machines do not inject any fuels into the fire; the fire is sustained only by adding more wood feedstock.
The incinerator (shown above) runs twice a week
Brush waste and wood pallets are accepted at the landfill
Open Cell
The landfill is made up of many cells, which are single units within the whole landfill. The open cell is where solid waste is currently being dumped. After leaving the scalehouse, garbage trucks bring their load to the current open cell to dump. Heavy machinery operators drive over the trash to compact it as much as possible. Once the trash reaches the height limit, it is covered with dirt and they start another layer of trash. Every night the trash is covered with thick, heavy plastic to help keep trash in place and animals away.
Leachate, Stormwater Runoff, and Methane
There are two types of landfill cells: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and demolition waste. It is ideal to keep these two forms of waste separate because demolition waste does not require a leachate collection system at the bottom of the cell. Leachate, the contaminated liquid produced from household garbage, needs to be collected and treated before it can be released back into our local creeks. Additionally, stormwater becomes contaminated when it runs off landfill cells. The landfill collects stormwater runoff in two retention ponds. The water in these ponds is treated and released into Pistol Creek.
Methane is a greenhouse gas produced from the rotting and breaking down of waste in the landfill. The methane gas is passively vented using gas wells throughout the landfill to aerate landfill waste, diluting the gas to tolerable levels before discharging it.
Collection pond at bottom of open cell
Capped Cell (Blount County Model Aviator Field)
When a cell can no longer accept any more waste, it is considered capped. When a cell is capped, grass is planted on top and it looks like any other grassy hill. The landfill currently has three capped cells, and one of them is used by the Blount County Model Aviators. Capped cells could also be used as parks or other recreational uses. Permanent structures cannot be built on capped cells because the ground is unstable and will sink as the layers of garbage beneath break down over time.
Capped cell in use
Convenience Center
Residents are able to bring their household garbage to the landfill’s Convenience Center bin if they choose to not have curbside pickup or simply have additional waste. This bin is only for household garbage. Demolition waste would need to be disposed of in a cell.
The Convenience Center is for household garbage only
Schedule a landfill tour
Want to learn more and see it for yourself? Schedule a landfill tour with Keep Blount Beautiful by filling out the form on our website or emailing programs@keepblountbeautiful.org. Please note that all participants including KBB staff will need to be on the same vehicle, such as a school bus or van. Accommodations may be made- contact our office with any questions and we can work with your situation.