Dickson County Commissioners Warn of Future Garbage Crisis

Charlotte, TN — Concerns about the future of garbage disposal in Dickson County emerged as a major theme during Monday night’s Dickson County Commission meeting, as commissioners openly discussed the possibility of a future landfill crisis while debating new zoning restrictions on landfills and rock quarries.

The discussion came during debate over a proposed zoning amendment that would create stricter regulations for future sanitary waste facilities, hazardous waste facilities and mining operations in the county. While several commissioners supported additional protections against unwanted industrial development, others warned the county could eventually face difficult decisions regarding garbage disposal and landfill capacity.

Commissioners referenced the growing pressure on regional landfills and noted that the Camden landfill — currently used by many Middle Tennessee communities — could reach capacity within the next five to seven years.

“I don’t think nobody wants a landfill,” one commissioner said during the discussion. “We won’t be able to find a spot in this county where anybody’s going to agree that there’d be a good spot for a landfill.”

Several commissioners described garbage disposal as one of the largest long-term infrastructure challenges the county may eventually face as population growth continues across the region.

“At some point, it’s going to become a major issue to this next governing body,” another commissioner said while urging caution about placing restrictions on future landfill development.

Commissioners also discussed the political difficulty of future landfill siting, acknowledging that residents in virtually every area of the county would likely oppose a landfill proposal near their communities.

Supporters of the zoning amendment argued the county still needed stronger protections against private landfill and quarry development in residential areas, particularly as development pressures increase throughout Middle Tennessee.

County officials later clarified that the county itself would still retain authority to amend zoning regulations in the future if public needs changed and noted that any future landfill project would still require approval from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).

The discussion highlighted a growing tension facing many fast-growing counties across Tennessee: balancing residential growth and environmental concerns with the long-term realities of waste disposal infrastructure.