Cherokee Landfill Operators Complete Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Reorganization Proceedings

Atlanta-based CWI Cherokee LF LLC has finished Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings after a shutdown due to high leachate levels.

All secured and unsecured creditors have been paid as part of the reorganization plan. The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, solidified CWI's Bankruptcy Reorganization Plan on August 15, 2024.

 "Leachate treatment at local wastewater plants is essential, especially when the host community significantly benefits from the landfill through lower disposal costs and tonnage royalties," commented  Steve Witmer, principal owner of CWI.

He continued: "Refusing to treat leachate while reaping the financial rewards from a landfill is unsustainable and ultimately jeopardized the Cherokee project. This issue is a nationwide challenge for landfills, and I am committed to helping the waste industry reshape the national conversation, which has so far been disingenuous and unfair to an industry that provides critical infrastructure for our citizens, businesses, and industries".

Local wastewater treatment plants stopped accepting Cherokee's leachate for treatment because of "unregulated low level PFAS constituents"

As a result, CWI was forced to transfer leachate more than 135 miles for processing.

In order to pay back its creditors, the company sold its leasehold interest in the Cherokee Landfill and Shoals MSW Transfer Station to Tri Cities Solid Waste Disposal Authority in a $28 million deal.

Witmer also initiated sale of the Huntsville Transfer Station to Evergreen Environmental Partners.

Source: CWI