Waste Management says new contracts will sharply increase landfill volume; county could see hundreds of thousands in host fees

Tom Brandon, a Waste Management representative, told the White County steering committee that the company has opened a new landfill cell and is bringing in new contract volume that will significantly increase daily tonnage to the county.

"We opened up our new cell 3 or 4 weeks ago," Brandon said, and said contracts with DeKalb County, a purchase of a Cumberland County transfer-station operation and a partnership with Rutherford County will add substantial daily volume. "We're gonna be getting approximately 1,200 tons per day," he said, and added that those volumes will generate host-fee revenue for the county. He gave a preliminary example — "doing the math at about 50" — that translates into roughly $400,000 a year under current contract assumptions.

The county's steering committee members asked when increased volume will begin; Brandon said the transfers will ramp up in the next four to six weeks as the recently acquired operations and new transfer arrangements come online. He also said the landfill will move its entrance to Old Kentucky Road in April and that the operation is coordinating with the Tennessee Department of Transportation on safety improvements, including flashing lights.

Why it matters: The anticipated increase in tonnage and related host fees could materially affect the county's solid-waste fund and generate additional local revenue. Brandon framed the change as a long-term operational shift rather than a short-term temporary adjustment, and he told commissioners the new volumes stem from secured contracts and an acquired transfer-station capability.

What happened next: Committee members did not take a vote on the landfill arrangement during the meeting; Brandon's remarks were an update to the steering committee. Officials asked staff to continue coordinating safety plans with TDOT and to confirm timing for the entrance move and staffing to support increased hours.

Context and caveats: Brandon described the volume and revenue figures as estimates based on current contracts; the figure of "approximately 1,200 tons per day" and the host-fee example near $400,000 per year were presented by Brandon as preliminary calculations and not as final, approved revenue forecasts. Any final financial impact will depend on contract terms, host-fee calculations and subsequent budgeting or commission approvals.