Cumberland Clear

08/06/2026

Join us Monday August 10th beginning at 7:00pm, as we discuss updates on Roberta II Landfill and the Nuclear Waste proposal for Tennessee.

We hope to see you there: Timber Rock Lodge, Oneida, Tn.

08/01/2026

A Plan for Nuclear Waste in Scott County

Marsha Blackburn and our own state Senator Ken Yager have “volunteered” the Cumberland Plateau including Scott County as a site to store nuclear waste.

Cumberland Clear is 100% against nuclear waste being stored in our community. Our President Jennifer Shockley has analyzed a recently released 200 page document from the state of Tennessee. Revealed within is several maps, one of which specifically features Scott, Morgan, Fentress and Pickett Counties as a potential permanent storage site, as well as a list of mayors who have already been in talks about this project.

Tennesseans were promised innovation and economic development, we were never told that a permanent nuclear waste disposal was part of the proposal. Most frustratingly, the state withheld the map of specific sites being considered.

We deserve transparency, public consent, and a greater voice before Tennessee commits to a project of this magnitude.

Link to full document in comments below.

07/19/2026

Statement from Cumberland Clear:

The original expiration date for the purchase agreement between Bearcat and Knox Horner et al. has now passed. We are actively investigating whether Bearcat granted the developers an extension, and we want to address a few points with our community.

First: if Bearcat does not extend the agreement and does not sell to Knox Horner, this is not over. Bearcat is still free to sell to another party, including our current landfill. They could also move forward with the MERF (large recycling sort facility), also known as an “Ecology Park,” along with the trash by rail transfer station across from Winfield Elementary School, which could bring in trash from across the country. This could potentially double the amount of solid waste going into our landfill.

Second: if the sale to Knox Horner does go through, this fight is not over. We remain in court to prevent the permit from being recertified and to block the ARAP appeal. We intend to keep contesting this at every stage.

We understand the frustration of waiting for clear answers. We are closely monitoring this situation, and as soon as we have verified information, not rumors, we will update the public.

Thank you for your continued trust and support.

07/07/2026

Cumberland Clear Files Lawsuit Over "Zombie" Roberta II Landfill Permit

We've filed a lawsuit in Davidson County Chancery Court, and we want the community to know exactly what it is and is not about.

This lawsuit does not ask the court to decide whether a landfill should be built. It asks a simple question: can a 16-year old "zombie" permit be brought back from the dead through a "recertification" process, even though the original project was never built, key parts of the permit have expired and the state recently rejected their ARAP( water plan)?

According to our complaint, the proposed Roberta II landfill no longer has a complete application or approved construction plans, and the environmental permit required for the project, known as an Aquatic Resource Alteration Permit, expired years ago. This "zombie" permit should have died long ago. Instead, it is being propped back up without going through the process that today's law requires.

Earlier this year, the Tennessee Dept of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) determined a new ARAP application would be required for Roberta II after identifying new streams and significant changes to the site’s terrain as well as changes to the permitting requirements over the last 16 years.

"Our goal has always been simple: make sure the law is followed," said Jennifer Shockley, President of Cumberland Clear. "When projects of this size affect our families, property owners, businesses, and natural resources, the public deserves a transparent process that follows Tennessee law. A 'zombie' permit should not get a free pass around that process."

We are also asking the court to consider what could happen if other "zombie" permits, which were never built, were to be revived the same way without meeting today’s environmental standards. This case could set an important precedent that affects communities across Tennessee, not just ours.

This comes at a time when leaders of Tennessee’s government are debating the future of local control over landfill decisions. The legislature originally created the Jackson Law and regional solid waste boards because landfill siting should involve the communities that will live with the consequences. Yet today, the state Solid Waste Task Force is discussing changes that could weaken or remove these local control measures, like Jackson Law and make it easier to permit landfills.

Please contact your state Senators and Representatives and ask them to protect local control i.e. Jackson Law.

Cumberland Clear remains committed to a respectful, fact based process, and we believe the courts are the right place to resolve these legal questions. Thank you to our members, volunteers, and neighbors for your continued support.

06/29/2026

Join Cumberland Clear at the Fireman’s Fourth Celebration!

We’ll have a booth at the Fireman’s Fourth Celebration in Huntsville on July 4 from 1:30 p.m. until the start of the parade.

We’re looking for volunteers to help at the booth. We have 30-minute and 1-hour time slots available, and any amount of time you can give is appreciated.

We’ll also be walking in the parade, and everyone is welcome to join us. We have a limited number of Cumberland Clear T-shirts available for participants.

If you’d like to volunteer, walk in the parade, or reserve a T-shirt, please comment below or send us a message. We hope to see you there!

06/24/2026

The Tennessean Uncovers More Questions Than Answers About the Roberta II ‘EcoPark’ Landfill Project.

Scott County residents have banded together to fight a project that would bring trainloads of trash to a rural Cumberland Plateau landfill. See link below ⬇️

📸 MARK ZALESKI / THE TENNESSEAN

06/13/2026

State leaders want to do away with Jackson Law.

The waste industry calls Jackson Law a “bottleneck.”

We call it a lifeline.

Jackson Law gives communities like Scott County a seat at the table, a real voice before a landfill can be imposed on our land, our water, our neighborhoods.

Weaken it, and rural counties lose one of the last protections standing between us and decisions made by people who will never live with the consequences.

Cumberland Clear’s position is simple:

What happens to our land, our water, and our way of life should be decided by the people who call this place home, not by lobbyists whose only stake is profit.

Tennessee lawmakers and other members of the state’s Solid Waste Task Force hinted Tuesday that they are considering changing a law that has allowed local governing bodies to approve or deny landfill proposals for nearly 40 years.

06/11/2026

On Tuesday, Cumberland Clear President Jennifer Shockley, Director Ralph Trieschmann, as well as other volunteers attended the Solid Waste Task Force session in Nashville.

This session included presentations from TDEC’s Nick Lytle, along with TDEC counsel. They provided information on landfill design, the permitting process, Jackson Law, and local solid waste board approval, as well as the Scenic Rivers Act.

Additional information was also presented by the National Waste & Recycling Association and the Chamber of Commerce.

Cumberland Clear does not agree with the message that Jackson Law, solid waste board approval, or the Scenic Rivers Act unnecessarily prevent or delay solid waste landfills.

These protections exist for a reason. They give local communities a voice in decisions that can affect our land, water, property values, and quality of life for generations.

Cumberland Clear supports local control.

The people who live here should have a say in what happens here.

If you would like to watch, the video link is provided in the comments.