Paulding County waste station: Neighbors protest facility construction near Cobb line

Waste site faces fierce neighbor opposition

Homeowners living near Reynolds Road are protesting a garbage transfer station currently under construction along the county line, according to local officials.  

PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. - A proposed waste transfer station off Reynolds Road in Paulding County has triggered sustained protests from neighborhood residents who fear toxic health impacts and pest infestations.

Homeowners in both Paulding and neighboring Cobb County are pleading with local politicians to step in and protect their communities.

Paulding County waste protests

What we know:

A waste facility planned for Reynolds Road in Paulding County is drawing heavy opposition from local property owners. The facility is designed to hold trash temporarily, process it, and then relocate it to another destination. Protests against the build site have been active since March.

Local homeowners like Donna Gates face identical worries whether they live in Cobb County or Paulding County's Menlow Station subdivision. Residents specifically fear the facility will bring severe health impacts alongside hordes of rodents and roaches. The anxiety is causing some neighbors to reconsider their future in the area, with Gates noting that "a lot of residents have decided they don't want to live here anymore."

Local facility planning details

What we don't know:

It remains unclear when or if Paulding County officials will sit down with representatives from neighboring communities to address the concerns surround a Paulding County trash transfer station being developed by Capital Waste Services. Powder Springs Mayor Al Thurman was expected to coordinate an in-person meeting with the Paulding County Commission to voice local opposition. However, that face-to-face meeting has been canceled twice. Paulding County officials have not provided a definitive date for a rescheduled meeting, insisting only that they are still trying to coordinate schedules. Commissioner Sheffield described the issue as "pending."

Government responses and reviews

What they're saying:

In a statement Powder Springs says:

"Mayor Thurman would like to meet with the Chairs of the Cobb County and Paulding County Boards of Commissioners to discuss the planned transfer station; however, such a meeting has not yet been scheduled. The City of Powder Springs is continuing to look into this matter."

Frustration is boiling over for the neighborhood groups trying to block the trash site. Gates joined a group of Cobb County residents in mid-May to speak directly with Mayor Thurman and County Commissioner Monique Sheffield to see if they could influence the project. The feedback from those sessions was bleak.

A sighing resident Brad McMahan, who expressed doubts that the political discussions were moving in the right direction said he "felt like their backs were against the wall." Gates acknowledged the jurisdictional hurdle pointed out in the meeting with Cobb County authorities, stating plainly, "(they said) we cannot make Paulding anything."

Technical reviews and next steps

Local perspective:

Despite the community backlash, Paulding County is defending the project's safety protocols. County planners insist that the facility is safe and structurally sound after undergoing six separate plan reviews.

Taxpayers argue that regional municipal cooperation is their only remaining hope. Neighbors say if there was ever a time for counties to partner together, that time is right now. Residents want their elected leaders to push back hard against the development. "We want them to protect the people , do what you can," Gates said. Neighbors argue that to fix this conflict, hometown politicians across county lines.