Fairhope, Ala. - A bill passed by the Alabama Senate that would place a two-year moratorium on landfills, if signed by the governor, could impact a proposed facility in Conecuh County, an environmental group stated today.

“The bill is a particular relief to citizens of Conecuh County who have been fighting the Conecuh Woods landfill, a mega-landfill near Repton, Ala., which could receive as much as 5,100 tons per day from 30 states across the country if it were to go into operation,” a news release by Conservation Alabama stated May 5.

The bill passed the state Senate 21-4 on May 5 and now goes to Gov. Robert Bentley for his signature, according to the release.

“Alabama has become a dumping ground for the entire country's waste,” said Conservation Alabama's executive director Adam Snyder. “With the signature of Governor Bentley, state leaders will have the time necessary to study our solid waste programs and the necessary changes to protect Alabamians' health and their property values from out-of-state waste.”

The bill applies only to landfill applications for 1) 1,500 tons per day or more, 2) a proposed capacity of 2,000 cubic yards per day, 3) 500 acres or more, or 4) when combined with landfills in the same county or within 20 miles of the proposed landfill sites, will exceed any of the first three restrictions, according to the release.

The bill allows for the Department of Public Health, the Department of Environmental Management, and other agencies to evaluate the state's solid waste management programs and make changes to the state's solid waste comprehensive plan during the moratorium period.

Neither Snyder, nor an attorney representing the citizen group challenging the Conecuh County landfill, could be reached immediately for comment.

Conservation Alabama is a Birmingham-based nonprofit environmental political organization “dedicated to making sound environmental policy a political reality in the state,” according to the release.