PEARL RIVER– In St. Tammany Parish in the Pearl River area, there is a proposed landfill that would be put on 104-acres of land, the spot where the old speedway was off of Highway 36 in Pearl River.

In order for the landfill to be built, the land owners, B. Clark Heebe must get a zoning change, approved by the St. Tammany Zoning Commission from a suburban zone to a solid waste management zone.

Max Yuratich lives a mile away from the proposed landfill site. He’s a father of five kids and doesn’t want his family anywhere near a landfill because of health and environmental risks.

“We don’t want the smells from this landfill. We don’t want the well water to be contaminated by toxins,” he said.

Residents living in St. Tammany have even put up signs up and down Highway 36 that read, “Say No to the Landfill.”

Max along with other concerned citizens can voice their concerns at an informational meeting that is being held tonight at 6:30 at the Castine Center in Mandeville. Residents can ask questions about the proposed landfill.

“I’m hoping the zoning commission votes against the zoning change,” Yuratich said.

In a statement to WGNO, St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper said, “Independent public meetings like this one are the way the process should work. Citizens gathering accurate, credible information and asking pointed questions is critical to making informed decisions about proposed changes that impact their community. I encourage participation in the public hearing process as well through the Parish Zoning Commission, who will hear the case on September 1st, so the Zoning Commission has a clear understanding of how both sides view the issue. This is exactly the way the process is designed to work.”