ATLANTA – State Representative Debra Bazemore (D-Riverdale), Chair of the City of South Fulton Delegation, today announced recent updates on a legal case regarding the fire at an unpermitted landfill that has poured smoke into a City of South Fulton neighborhood for more than six months.
“While the problem at hand is not completely resolved, I am grateful to our local and state officials for working together to bring justice to our South Fulton community,” said Rep. Bazemore. “The City of South Fulton citizens are desperate for this awful situation to be taken care of as quickly as possible. It is time for the property owner to take responsibility for his actions and finally put an end to this ongoing and serious fire.”
On Monday, March 11, 2019, Judge Constance Russell gave plaintiff Tandy Ross Bullock, the owner of the illegal landfill, 60 days to rectify the situation, and Mr. Bullock currently has less than 37 more days to complete the judge’s orders. If Mr. Bullock does not fulfill the court requirements, Georgia’s Board of Natural Resources will then utilize $500,000 in emergency funds to extinguish the landfill fire. The Board of Natural Resources will contract a vendor chosen by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to extinguish the fire.
The City of South Fulton Delegation and the EPD have been working together in recent months to address the fire at an unpermitted landfill in the City of South Fulton. According to the EPD, the site caught fire last September and ongoing efforts to get the landfill owner to put out the smoldering fire have not been successful. Smoke from the property located at 7635 Bishop Road has spread throughout the surrounding community. The burning debris includes trees, stumps, and wood from demolished buildings.
Representative Debra Bazemore represents the citizens of District 63, which includes portions of Clayton, Fayette and Fulton counties. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves on the Human Relations & Aging, Intragovernmental Coordination, Natural Resources & Environment and State Planning & Community Affairs committees.
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