Write out your comment before hand, and read it during the public meeting. This helps keep your message on track and to the point. It will also help you remember everything you want to say.
Keep your comment short and to the point. Time is usually limited during a public meeting, so make sure you include your most important points, and stick to the topic of the public meeting.
Make it personal. Clearly and succinctly explain why you care about the issue you are commenting about. If you live close to the proposed project, be sure to state that for the record.
For the proposed landfill Facility Issues Negotiations Process Public Meeting, consider including these points:
What issues do you anticipate with living near a landfill (noise, dust, odor, traffic, impacts to water quality, light pollution at night, etc.)?
If the landfill were to be permitted, is there anything the company can do to lessen this issues (limiting hours of operation, implementing an odor mitigation plan?
Here are some suggestions for specific things Satilla Riverkeeper believes are important for the landfill company to do in order to protect the community and the environment:
A Citizens Advisory Committee be established whose purpose is to provide a formal liaison between the Affected Citizens, Brantley County, and the Development Partners, to provide public input regarding the design, construction and operation of the Proposed Facility, and provide information to the public regarding the Proposed Facility as needed.
Development Partners shall comply with the Brantley County 2017 Solid Waste Management Plan buffers: o "no solid waste management facility shall be located within 2 miles of any area determined to be a significant groundwater recharge area." o No waste disposal within "the 100-year floodplain of any creek or river in Brantley County, including but not limited to the Satilla River, Little Satilla River, Big Satilla Creek, Buffalo Creek, Turtle River, and all of their tributaries. These restrictions shall be further applied with a 100-foot buffer to the 100-year floodplain, measured at the statistical high-water line elevation of such floodplain extent, without regard to land cover or existing use or zoning. These restrictions, including the buffer restrictions, shall further apply to all jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional wetlands (“flowing” and “non-flowing,” “connected,” and “non-connected/isolated,” “depressional,” and “linear” wetlands) under the Federal Clean Water Act, as defined by standard procedures used by the delegated authorities under the Act, for soil type and vegetation" o No waste disposal within "1 mile of any well used by the public, residents, subdivisions, churches, businesses, and schools." o "All wetlands, semi-permanent streams, ephemeral springheads, perennial streams, rivers, other permanent flowing watercourses, and ephemeral streams shall be protected with a 100-foot vegetated buffer, experiencing minimal hand-thinning only, and no cutting of woody vegetation with DBH > 3 inches." o "All wetlands should be protected from alteration of vegetation or hydrology, other than those activities designed and engineered to improve the values and functions of such areas." o A vegetated buffer maintained at least 500 feet from property line.
Development Partners agree to no filling of any wetlands, jurisdictional or non-jurisdictional.
Development Partners agrees to fund a litter prevention and waste reduction education program to be carried out by local schools and/or non-profit organizations.
Development Partners will establish a residential well testing program to provide for testing of the wells at residences and schools in the area located within three miles of the Property boundaries of the Proposed Landfill, measured in a straight line from the nearest Property boundary to the well. The testing program shall address a representative sample of the wells in such area, and include the public drinking water wells within the area.
Development Partners agree to a regularly quarterly testing of the Satilla River and its nearby water sources for pollution and contamination relating to the construction and operation of the landfill.
The Development Partners should agree to a reasonable host fee and additional payments to Brantley County so that the County has ample resources to cover the costs of operation for the Citizens Advisory Committee, to deal with any additional issues that arise due to the operation of the Proposed Facility in the county, to provide adequate oversight to ensure the protection of Brantley County residents and natural resources.
Development Partners agrees to guarantee the collection and disposal of waste generated within the county at low or no cost, and make recycling and yard waste collection available to Brantley County residents.
