Dive Brief:

• The Macon-Bibb County landfill has failed a second inspection by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Regulators are considering levying substantial fines for the violations.
• The latest site inspection was on January 23. The score given by the DNR 65%, up from 55% from an inspection last spring, but still not high enough. The minimum score needed to pass is 75%. 
• Cited were 13 reasons for the failing scores, including everything from no erosion control and trash throughout the facility to waste in the waterway. 

Dive Insight:

This landfill, located in Macon, Ga., has been under scrutiny before. Many of the violations are the same issues that noted during previous inspections. The city was fined $35,000 in October of 2011 for closely related infractions. 

A letter to the county from the DNR stated "given the number of recurring violations and maintenance issues, the Division has no other alternative than to seek additional enforcement action that will follow shortly after the receipt of this letter."

The current Public Works Director, Richard Powell, had been fired in February 2012, due to incompetence, but his position was reinstated after an appeal that saw the Macon City Council vote to overturn the decision in October 2012. But there's a new mayor in town, and under the new Macon-Bibb government, department heads have no appeal from firing by the mayor. It will be interesting to see if the new series of violations and fines sway the mayor to take action.