What will McCreary County do?
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By Eugenia Jones {Editor}
[email protected]
Scott/McCreary Gov. Coalition against proposed landfill meets Friday
Scott County governing bodies cap their spending
McCreary County officials, who represent the county as members of the Scott County-McCreary County Environmental Coalition (SCMCEC), are expected to attend the second coalition meeting, scheduled for this Friday, August 1, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Oneida (TN) Municipal Building.
SCMCEC was formed in response to the five county and municipal governing bodies’ reaction to a group of nonlocal investors’ proposal to build another landfill near the current Volunteer Landfill at Bear Creek in Scott County, TN. The investors have entered into contracts to purchase nearly 700 acres of property in the area and are seeking recertification of an existing permit for landfill construction on 24 of those acres. Additionally, the investors have also applied for a permit to construct a rail waste transfer facility nearby.
McCreary County’s leading concern with the project is its proximity to the Big South Fork River, which is McCreary County’s primary source of water. Reportedly, the planned construction of another landfill near the Volunteer Landfill will impact 1,500 feet of the Bear Creek drainage area stream. Bear Creek is a tributary of the Big South Fork River, and McCreary County’s primary water intake pulls from the Big South Fork River at a point downstream from both the current and proposed landfills.
During the SCMCEC’s first meeting on July 9, coalition members decided to enter into a retainer agreement with attorney Lisa Helton of the Nashville law firm, Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison. Helton gained notoriety when she prevailed for the City of Murfreesboro in their fight against an expansion of the Middle Point Landfill (TN). At the time of the meeting, coalition members did not have an estimate of total cost; however, they were advised that Helton is retained at a billable rate of $640 per hour, with her two associates, who will also work on the case, billed at a rate of $500 per hour. During SCMCEC’s first meeting, the five municipal and county governments loosely pledged that each coalition member (McCreary & Scott Counties, as well as the towns of Huntsville, Oneida, and Winfield) would contribute one-fifth of the cost for legal representation. McCreary County’s Judge Executive, Jimmie “Bevo” Greene, agreed to the arrangement, contingent upon the approval of McCreary County’s Fiscal Court.
The following night, July 10, the McCreary County Fiscal Court met in regular session with an item included on the agenda to “Approve setting a limit on the amount of money to spend on legal fees for the coalition between Scott and McCreary County, KY. This will cover the costs for the lawyer approved by the Coalition. The town of Oneida will bill the Fiscal Court for its part of the fees.” The Fiscal Court entered executive (closed) session to discuss the agenda item. Upon reconvening in open session, McCreary Fiscal Court voted unanimously to approve paying one-fifth of the cost, without setting a limit.
Ironically, since the Coalition’s first meeting and McCreary County Fiscal Court’s approval to pay 1/5 of the cost without setting a limit, several of the other coalition members have put guardrails in place to limit their financial commitment in retaining legal representation for the Coalition.
During their July 21 regular meeting, the Scott County Commission voted unanimously to authorize the expenditure of up to $20,000 for legal representation/environmental consultation in the landfill war. According to the July 24 issue of the Independent Herald (TN), Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers spoke at the Scott County Commission meeting, stating that the town of Winfield has agreed to the one-fifth arrangement, authorizing $20,000. Oneida has done likewise. Jeffers went on to explain that McCreary County agreed to the one-fifth arrangement without placing a cap on spending. The Independent Herald article continued, noting that, according to Jeffers, the resolution adopted by the town of Huntsville states that its share will be based on population size, which Jeffers said would be about 7.8%. According to reports, Huntsville has authorized $10,000.
Last Friday (July 25), the Journal contacted McCreary County Executive Judge Greene for an update on McCreary County’s next steps as a member of SCMCEC and if McCreary County’s representatives will make any suggestions at this Friday’s SCMCEC meeting. Judge Greene responded that he, along with Executive Assistant Josh Stephens, Emergency Management Director Stephe McKinney, and possibly a magistrate, will meet with County Attorney Austin Price early this week to discuss what McCreary County’s next step will be.
According to unconfirmed reports, the meeting will be open to the public, except for an executive session during which coalition members will meet with their attorney to discuss legal matters related to the proposed landfill project. As of press time, the Journal has not received an official, finalized agenda; however, it is expected that the coalition will hear updates and reports from coalition members representing the five governing bodies of McCreary and Scott Counties, as well as the towns of Huntsville, Oneida, and Winfield. It is also anticipated that the coalition will receive comments or concerns from the public and coalition members.
McCreary County coalition members are McCreary County Judge Greene, EMA Director Stephen McKinney, County Attorney Austin Price, and McCreary County Water District Superintendent Stephen Whitaker. Other coalition members are: Huntsville Mayor Dennis Jeffers, Winfield Alderman Doug Wilso, Winfield Mayor Jerry Dotson, Oneida Mayor Lori Phillips-Jones, Oneida Alderman Jeff Tibbals, Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers, Scott County Attorney John Beatty, Oneida Water General Manager Steve Owens, and Plant Manager Ronnie Duncan.
