Chemicals in Dickson County Landfill At Center of New Lawsuit

A federal lawsuit filed today claims Dickson County has failed to control and clean toxic seepage from its landfill.

An industrial chemical called TCE was buried in the Dickson County landfill in the 1960s and 70s. TCE has been found in nearby well water, and is believed to be the cause of severe illnesses-mostly cancer-in many nearby residents.

The county has acknowledged a problem, declared water in a 3 mile radius to be unfit for human consumption, and sued the company that put the chemical there. But Sheila Holt-Orsted says official efforts have been inadequate. She and her mother filed the lawsuit, along with the Natural Resources Defense Council. They believe the county has, in the words of the suit, “surrendered the ground and soil and surface water…to the slow spread of an invisible and toxic chemical.”

“It’s now time for them to take some responsibility and do the right thing instead of it being hundreds of years before it filters out itself and how many more generations of people are affected.”

The lawsuit asks for a thorough cleanup effort and survey to determine just how far the chemical has spread. It also suggests TCE may have reached the source of the municipal water supply.

County officials had no comment. Just last year, the county ended its lawsuit with the automotive company that dumped the chemical. The county had asked for 4 million dollars; instead, it settled for 400-thousand.