Brundidge Mayor Jimmy Ramage is right on track when he says "garbage is big business."

For the Pike County community, it’s about $1 million worth of big.

That’s how much the City of Brundidge could reap in annual revenues if town council members decide to extend BFI’s contract at its Brundidge landfill.

Currently,

Browning Ferris Industries is permitted to accept garbage from 17 counties in Alabama at its Brundidge landfill. The company wants to expand that permit, to allow the Subtitle D Landfill to accept garbage from any site east of the Mississippi River.

That means six or eight containers of garbage could come to the landfill site each day, the mayor has said. If expanded, the landfill’s life will be shortened from 100 to 50 years, and officials have said the site will continue to be environmentally safe.

More important, he said, that means the company would hire more jobs and create more revenue through its tippage fees.

That revenue, which could be as much as $1 million annually, could go a long way in Brundidge. From public works to street improvements to help build new school buildings, city leaders could channel those revenues back into the community.

But the prospect doesn’t come without concerns. This is, afterall, a landfill. And some residents may be hesitant to endorse the project.

Ultimately, the decision on expanding the landfill permit must be one endorsed by the community. And residents who support the proposals, as well as those with questions about it, should speak up at a 10 a.m. April 22 public hearing on the permit expansion. The hearing will take place at city hall, and it is designed to garner public input on the permit proposal.

Yes, garbage is "big business."

And it could mean much needed "big bucks" for the city of Brundidge.  

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