Dive Brief:
- The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) fired a state inspector, Gary Meador, who was caught hunting at the landfill in Baxter County, Arkansas.
- On February 28, the owners of the landfill -- the Ozark Mountain Rehional Solid Waste Management District Board of Directors -- found out that Meador had hunted on the property many times. His private vehicle was found while preparing the site for a bankruptcy auction.
- Meador said that hunting on the property did not cloud his ability to act in a professional manner, noting multiple citations brought to public attention through his work. He said he had received permission, as had others who hunted on the site, including other landfill employees, state troopers and an elected official.
Dive Insight:
Meador plans to appeal the action. He had been employed as a landfill and solid waste inspector for the past 25 years, and has hunted at the landfill for 30 years, before it was turned into a landfill.
The Ozark Mountain Regional Solid Waste Management District (WMD) in Baxter County received attention earlier in the week when it was announced that the ADEQ is planning to remove over $2.4 million in funding from the landfill.
