Fun fact, a lot of industrial facilities in Europe that require a lot of energy burn hazardous waste for fuel. Over here, you can count on two hands the number of haz waste incinerators that exist in the US and Canada. It’s next to impossible to get a new one approved to burn as well.

Waste to Energy is big in pockets of the us. (South Florida and the North East). Covanta and Wheelabrator are the top two largest companies. We actually have one in the state (Covanta Huntsville). They don’t produce much electricity but they do provide steam for Redstone. Countries in the Northern EU (Finland, etc) are utilizing 100% of refuse for fuel. The EPA is the biggest road block here in the states.

I live about 6 miles from this St Clair dump. We are tired of smelling it. Definitely has caused some breathing issues for folks. Not sure what the answer is.

Things that make sense never happen. No money for the politicians making decisions.

Have one up here in Colbert. Tree company land and ADEM fined owner 10k so far. It was buried under dirt so the pit is creeping and no way to extinguish as of now. Specialist have been brought in to no avail

It seems a pellet mill would take the refuge.

Grind it up and give away the mulch.

Local bark company takes or buys from tree crews. Way too much to grind it all. Logger take their leftovers there too.

There is supposed to be or have built a pellet mill to ship industrial pellets overseas to used as fuel for electricity production. Guess it never came to fruition.

I’m sure the push back is carbon released.

Ive got a friend in the tree business. He faced the same issues of disposal. One of his employees had land and asked if he could take the logs and larger limbs. This guy started a firewood business. My buddy takes only small stuff to the landfill and the rest gets taken to his employees land. That guy in his spare time cuts it up and splits it. It’s gotten so big, he’s hired two friends to help in their spare time. This guy is killing it. He said his firewood business made $68,000 last year. twice what he made working for my buddy. this guys land looks like a wood dump but it’s a win-win for all involved. Just got to find someone willing to take it on. Ive gone to his place and bought wood in a pinch. He’ll let people come buy the logs at a reduced rate. A bought a 20’ trailer of logs (he loaded) for $30. I took it home. Cut it up on the trailer and spilt it. He really has a neat operation.

Ala power is already quietly burning wood chips from what ive been told.


Jwalker if i was in your biz id buy the ugliest piece of cheap property with the deepest hollow on it and start filling it in. Id also retire off that same hollow by selling topsoil after it rotted.
There is a local city i wont name thats been filling in a hollow with wood debris for 40 years. Theyd make a mint if they started digging it up and selling topsoil.

Russell Corp in Alex City used to have a wood chip generator in the middle of their mill complex there, not sure if they still do. They would take in 18 loads of chips and had a elevator ramp that would raise the trucks and dump the chips for burning. That generator like most in Europe burn so hot, they don't produce any smoke.

There is a place right near me that does this and it must be profitable. I was calling tree services trying to get some free chipped wood and they want a pretty penny for their dyed chips.

If it were a tree dump, there wouldn't be tires burning. ADEM has lied about what was being burned. It's what they do.

I think its more than tree debris. You have to look at all the landscapers too.They pull bushes, plants, cut trees and have grass clippings.

I def think there is a way to chip or mulch it and sell that. I look at all the waste material they leave behind when they thin or cut timber on a lease. It's insane.

Two decades ago I responded mutual aid to a landfill fire in Libscomb. July. About noon. We'd just finished lunch. Smoke sausage dogs with all the fixins. We were absolutely stuffed. I was one of two sent on an engine for mutual aid. Carried a half eaten hot dog with me enroute. Crested the hill and saw a black mushroom cloud in the distance. Tossed the rest of the dog out the window. Tossed the rest not too long after. We were on that site for more than 8 hours before relief was sent. The volunteers came and went. Other departments came and went. I won't say anything about the leadership back at my station that day. No need to speak ill of the dead. But when the Chief came in and realized we were not there, he loaded up and came to find us. Randy and I were absolutely spent. The materials under the ground were burning and opening up huge sink holes everywhere. One minute the ground was there, the next it wasn't. Apocalyptic is the best description I have of it. It was so hot that day, when we got on the engine to leave, the heat from our exhaust had melted the ashpalt and fused the brakes on the rear wheels. Had to have the engine towed to a shop for repairs. I'll never forget that fire. They'd been dumping building materials, roofing, tires, entire mobile homes into that landfill, illegally for decades. I don't begrudge the forestry or Moody fire on this. Human waste materials have to go somewhere. Once it lit up, it's gonna have to burn out and that may take months.

This issue is close to me as I have friends who have flipped upside down over this. In the last 6 months they purchased $175k worth of cars that smell like a camp fire now. They were hosing ash off the paint daily to prevent damage to the exterior. They have moved out of their 4 year old 500k dollar house because of the air quality and currently live in a rented garden home with a few pieces of rented furniture. Driving to family’s house to do laundry. It’s not just cigarette smoke that causes long term health issues and they are other things buried out there than wood debris I know for a fact. The owner has not addressed issues that we’re supposed to be taken care of years ago.

I hope this provides some perspective. If the price goes up because of a disaster resulting from a mismanaged stump dump, so be it. You really needed to see this fire in person to appreciate how big of a nightmare it really is.

I know of this thing shuts down it will be an inconvenience for folks in the tree business, but see above for a real inconvenience.

Have they called ADEM?

Yes. I assure you there is no stone being left unturned.

I understand its a problem. But whats the answer, going into the future. The place i worked for twelve years was used as a tree dump. He has tree debris piled 20ft high on his whole place now. It looks like a tree debris hoarder. Only trails to drive through. He has 70 acres and almost all of it is piled full of tree or demolition debris. Its crazy. When i worked there we had a hole we dumped in and it stayed burning about all the time. Then he started letting everyone dump there after i quit him. Now his whole place is a pile of trash. It is quite a spectical. I was told ADEM shut him down

Down here in my neck of the woods tree debris is used to back fill dirt pits that has been dug out. Some will work it in cycles of putting the tree debris in a pit cover it with dirt and over the years sell the rotted material for topsoil and start the process over

The only positive i could see in my old bosses place is that 100years from now, after all that wood rots, itll be some of the richest soil around. His place was a reclaimed strip pit, pretty much slate rock everywhere. 100 years from now half of it should be a fine place to grow a garden.