Atlanta's Landfill to Close

Rebekah A. Hall

Atlanta -- A judge has ordered the Live Oak Landfill to close in December 2004. Live Oak is the metro area’s largest landfill, accepting approximately 4,500 tons of refuse per day. The ruling upholds an order filed this past year by then-Gov. Roy Barnes to close the facility. In 2002, state environmental inspectors fined the landfill’s owner, Houston-based Waste Management Inc. (WM), for not covering sludge immediately. WM may appeal the ruling. The immediate challenge for the city is where to place its garbage once the landfill closes.