Beasley Allen Files Lawsuit Against Tallassee Landfill Leaking Toxic Pollutants Into Local Water Supplies

Beasley Allen attorney Gavin King filed a lawsuit on behalf of local landowners against Stone’s Throw Landfill near Tallassee, Ala., and other defendants after the landfill released cancer-causing PFAS into central Alabama water supplies.

“The families living near this landfill shouldn’t suffer at the hands of large waste management corporations. They did not ask for this landfill to be in their backyard, and they should not suffer the consequences of its mismanagement. There are others in the community affected by the defendants’ reckless conduct. Hopefully, this case will encourage them to come forward and hold these defendants accountable for endangering human and environmental health.”

Gavin King, Beasley Allen Attorney

Stone’s Throw Landfill pollutants have exposed residents and landowners of the Ashurst Bar-Smith to hazardous chemicals and compounds. The landfill releases pollutants into Gleeden Branch and Mill Creek, Chewacla Creek (referred to locally as Eufalby Creek or Uphapee Creek), its tributaries, and the Tallapoosa River. The pollutants have contaminated water, including creeks and groundwater, in southern Tallapoosa and northern Macon Counties.

Leachate, which is formed when water seeps through landfill material and takes on the chemical characteristics of the waste through which it passes, is a black, foul-smelling liquid generally containing pollutants like heavy metals, pathogens, and Per- and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Two types of PFAS, PFOA and PFOS, cause multiple health problems, including thyroid disease, cancer and weakened immunity.

Stone’s Throw Landfill produces leachate containing PFAS at levels well above recognized health advisory levels and other toxins. These high levels pose a serious threat to the health and safety of the residents surrounding the landfill, especially where leachate leaks into the water supply.

The defendants were aware that pollutants from their landfill were entering the local water table and flowing to nearby residents’ properties. They knew they needed to repair the landfill to prevent contamination and failed to do so, needlessly risking human and environmental health.

The case is Herbert Mason v. GFL Environmental Services USA, Inc. et al., filed in the Circuit Court of Tallapoosa County, Dadeville Division, case number 62-CV-2023-900011.00.