Dive Brief:
- State environmental officials say the Harrelson landfill in Shreveport, LA will close indefinitely.
- The owners of the landfill, Harrleson Materials Management, Inc., will have eight months to shut down the area before the company’s lease expires in October. The town has decided against a renewal.
- A fire has been burning at the site for years, prompting an outcry by nearby residents who are concerned about environmental issues and potential health risks.
Dive Insight:
In June, regulators issued an administrative order against the site, demanding the company operating the landfill cease accepting materials due to the smoldering fire. During the announcement of the closure, state Fire Marshal Butch Browning explained the first step toward closing the site for good will be to extinguish the fire, with Louisiana DEQ officials reiterating it would take between six to eight months to put the fire out permanently.
