Loudon County Economic Development Agency, EDA, Director, Jack Qualls, pitched the idea to commission. Not sure why it fell to Mr. Qualls to make the proposal but his idea didn't get much support.

The Hutch facility has been around since the thirty's or forties. it's likely full of asbestos, lead paint, PCB's, oils and fluids and no telling what else. The idea of dumping those kind of wastes into an old quarry a quarter of a mile from the Tennessee River wouldn't make any since. Qualls stated they (Loudon) would get the waste approved by TDEC, Tennessee Department Of Environment And Conservation,  

The Loudon County Solid Waste Commission just spent nearly four hundred thousand dollars to fix a fifty foot gully at the old, abandoned Poplar Springs Landfill that was closed back in the nineties. TDEC also approved the closure of that old landfill and said the county had no further responsibility. Here we are nearly thirty years later spending tons of money to fix the last mess TDEC said was OK.

I really don't think county officials have any appetite to take on another mess and I'm sure Loudon city officials are looking for the cheapest way out but if they're smart, they'll take their building problems to the county landfill. Otherwise, in twenty or thirty years from now, another group of officials may be looking at another unnecessary, expensive clean up. 

This is an avoidable problem.