At last month’s fiscal court meeting, Owen County Judge-Executive Billy O’Banion announced that a permit filed by John and Susan Pittman to turn the area behind the Lighthouse Church into a construction demolition/debris landfill had been denied.
Local residents were concerned that hazardous wastes would be brought onto the site.
With the denial of the permit, it seemed the matter was put to bed.
But during the past month, residents have flooded O’Banion’s office with complaints and concerns about what’s become of the area.
O’Banion said residents have reported visual sightings of trucks going in and out of the area and have become concerned about what is being taken to the site.
Owen County officials contacted the Florence Environmental Protection Agency office and the state office, and an inspector visited the site.
“He said there were about 16 dump truck loads of debris,” said Dan Logan, the Owen County solid waste manager.
Those loads included items such as dirt, trees, stumps and roots.
Owen County officials set out to find out if this is a violation of local ordinances.
“It’s not a violation to stockpile debris on top of the ground,” said Logan, adding that under current county laws, temporary stockpiling for beneficial refuse is acceptable, although it must be removed or used in a beneficial manner within six months.
What that means, is that, by Dec. 8, all the material currently dumped on the site, or any material dumped between now and then, must be removed, by cutting it up, grinding it into mulch or hauling it off.
The material cannot be burned or buried under ground.
It must be used in a beneficial manner.
Officials plan to inspect the site once a month, or more, if they feel additional inspections are necessary, to insure that the site remains within the laws.
“My main goal is just trying to let the citizens know the process we’re following,” O’Banion said.
The process of reading the ordinances can be timely and confusing.
But what the land is currently being used for falls within the county laws.
The fiscal court sent a letter to the Pittmans explaining what can and can’t be stored on the land and when and how that material must be removed.
Logan, who has visited the site, said most of the materials dumped at the site have been put into piles, each about 15 feet apart, near the entrance of the site.
“I believe the Pittmans have been cooperative,” said Logan, adding that he doesn’t expect there to be any problems with the site or the owners.
“The citizens of Owen County are very concerned about it and I’m glad they have a watchful eye,” Logan said. ‘We put in our ordinances for a reason. We don’t take anything lightly.”
“Any time a concerned citizen wants to come to my office and sit down and discuss what’s on the ordinances, my door is always open, and so is Billy’s,” Logan added.

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