Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr Responds to Halt of Middle Point Landfill Vertical Expansion

February 11, 2026

Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr congratulates Mayor Shane McFarland and the Murfreesboro City Council on the Davidson County Chancery Court ruling that halts the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) from processing Republic’s application for vertical expansion of Middle Point Landfill.

The City of Murfreesboro announced the ruling late yesterday in a media release.

Carr took to his social media account congratulating and thanking the City of Murfreesboro for standing firm.

“I want to congratulate the courage and leadership of Mayor Shane McFarland and the Murfreesboro City Council,” Carr said.  “They have always put the health, safety and wellbeing of our community first. Since I was first elected county mayor 3 1/2 years ago, Mayor McFarland and I have always had an excellent working relationship. We both believe what is good for the City is good for the County.”

Carr forwarded the following statement to the Daily News Journal.

"Rutherford County is both grateful and not surprised at the court issuing an order halting TDEC on the processing of Republic’s application for expansion," Carr said.

"I want to personally thank Mayor (Shane) McFarland and the Murfreesboro City Council for their leadership on this issue that Rutherford County had decided long ago. Rutherford County is adamantly opposed to any expansion of Middle Point Landfill, and we will fight it vigorously. Once again, with the law and the facts on our side we will always ultimately prevail."

Carr and McFarland held a joint press conference in January 2025 to oppose the expansion of Middle Point Landfill.  Since that time, Carr has been implementing the county’s solid waste plan one step at a time, including opening the Rutherford County Transfer Station in July 2025.  The Transfer Station is a step toward solid waste independence.