BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) — The City of Bristol, Tennessee filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Bristol, Virginia over ongoing issues surrounding the city’s landfill.
Bristol, Tennessee wants to force Bristol, Virginia to comply with its permits and address the issues surrounding the landfill.
Odors from Bristol, Virginia’s landfill have impacted residents on both sides of the state line since the fall of 2020.
In its lawsuit, Bristol, Tennessee is seeking a preliminary injunction ordering Bristol, Virginia to immediately stop the intake of waste at the facility and to implement recommendations for addressing the landfill issues made by an expert panel assembled by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
“For at least two years, Bristol, Virginia has been in continual violation of the permits issued by DEQ
while taking no concrete steps to address these problems,” Bristol, Tennessee City Manager Bill
Sorah said in a release. “These violations stem from a failure to properly manage the landfill, which not only violates state and federal law, but has also resulted in a number of adverse impacts on the quality of life for our community.”
The city is also seeking to recover damages arising from the alleged inadequate operation of the landfill. Bristol, Tennessee says it has spent thousands of dollars so far, from funding a program to provide air purifiers to economically disadvantaged residents to obtaining a report from a third-party toxicologist regarding the health effects of exposure to the landfill’s odors and emissions.
The city is being represented by the law firm Troutman, Pepper, Hamilton and Sanders, of Richmond, Virginia, and by E. Lynn Dougherty of Bristol, Tennessee.
Regarding the lawsuit, Bristol, Virginia Mayor Anthony Farnum said the city had no comment at this time.
This is a developing story. Look for updates on WJHL.com.
