Middle Point Landfill Murfreesboro Class Action Lawsuit, Could You Be Part of It?

Two Murfreesboro residents filed a class action lawsuit on April 7, 2026, against BFI Waste Systems of Tennessee — the company that owns and operates Middle Point Landfill. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, accuses BFI of failing to contain noxious odors from the landfill, harming residents, workers, students, and anyone who spends time near the site. No settlement exists yet. This case is at its earliest stage.

Quick Facts

Field	Detail
Defendant	BFI Waste Systems of Tennessee (subsidiary of Republic Services, Inc.)
Court	U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee
Date Filed	April 7, 2026
Claims	Private nuisance, public nuisance, negligence
Cause	Alleged failure to implement an adequate landfill gas collection system
Settlement	None — litigation phase only
Jury Trial Requested	Yes
BFI Response	“We have not yet been served with the complaint”

Where Things Stand Right Now

• The lawsuit was filed on April 7, 2026. BFI confirmed it had not yet been served as of the filing date.
• No class has been certified yet and no settlement exists. The court must first accept the case before residents can formally join as class members.
• This is a separate case from the City of Murfreesboro’s own ongoing federal lawsuit against BFI and Republic Services over Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act violations.

What Is Middle Point Landfill and Why Has It Been Controversial for Years?

Middle Point Landfill sits along the East Fork of the Stones River in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and is the largest landfill in the state. BFI Waste Systems of Tennessee operates it as a subsidiary of Republic Services — one of the largest waste management companies in the country.

The landfill sits near the intake pipe for the Stones River Water Treatment Plant, which provides drinking water for Rutherford County and City of Murfreesboro residents. That proximity has made every environmental complaint about the landfill a direct public health concern for tens of thousands of people.

Residents have reported odor problems for years. The City of Murfreesboro has received more than 4,000 complaints related to odor from its public portal, and Middle Point Landfill has received seven environmental violations in just the last year. Those odor complaints — and the city’s own testing — form the backbone of this new residents’ lawsuit.

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What Does the April 2026 Lawsuit Actually Claim?

The lawsuit alleges private nuisance, public nuisance, and negligence against BFI Waste Systems, arguing that the company has “failed to implement an adequate landfill gas collection system,” causing noxious odors to escape from the site.

The lawsuit does not limit harm to homeowners living next to the landfill. According to the complaint, members of the public — including business owners, employees, commuters, visitors, customers, clients, worshippers, students, and patients — have experienced and been harmed by fugitive noxious odors emitted from the landfill into public spaces.

The plaintiffs cite the city’s 4,000-plus odor complaints as direct evidence that BFI knew about the problem and failed to fix it. They are asking for a jury trial to decide the case.

This Is Not the First Lawsuit Against Middle Point Landfill

This April 2026 filing is the latest in a long string of legal actions targeting Middle Point. Understanding the full timeline helps residents grasp how serious and long-running this situation actually is.

The city’s legal battle with the landfill extends as far back as March 2021, when the first class action was issued against the landfill, citing excessive odor. That earlier case, filed by local resident Justin Burriss with the help of a Michigan law firm, eventually produced a proposed settlement — which both the City of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County rejected as inadequate. Last July, Murfreesboro’s City Council voted to reject that settlement offer.

In August 2022, the City of Murfreesboro filed its own separate federal lawsuit against Republic Services and BFI over environmental violations. The City has since sent notices of additional and continued violations of the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act, citing test results that showed continued discharges of landfill leachate — including PFAS “forever chemicals,” aluminum, and ammonia — into the East Fork Stones River.

These forever chemicals have been linked to cancer, immune system damage, and reproductive health risks. They do not biodegrade or break down in nature.

In December 2025, the city filed yet another lawsuit — this time to stop BFI from bypassing local review on a proposed 70-foot vertical expansion that would have added 19 million tons of waste to the site. On February 10, 2026, the Chancery Court of Davidson County granted the City a writ of mandamus, directing that TDEC must cease processing BFI’s vertical expansion application.

Who Could Be Included in This New Lawsuit?

The April 2026 class action is still in its earliest stage — no class has been formally certified by the court. Based on the claims in the complaint, the following groups could potentially be included if the case moves forward:

• You may qualify if you own or rent property near Middle Point Landfill in Murfreesboro and have experienced persistent odor problems tied to the site.
• You may qualify if you work, attend school, worship, or regularly spend time in areas affected by odors from the landfill.
• You may qualify if you suffered property value losses, health impacts, or other damages you can connect to noxious gases from the landfill.
• You may qualify if you previously filed an odor complaint through the City of Murfreesboro’s odor reporting portal.

Because no class has been certified yet, there is no claim form to file at this time. Residents who believe they have been affected should monitor the case as it develops and consider speaking with an attorney.

What Has BFI Said?

BFI’s response to the new April 2026 lawsuit has been minimal. BFI told WKRN News 2 that it had not yet been served with the complaint.

In response to the city’s earlier odor complaints, BFI Waste Systems said the City of Murfreesboro did not share specific details with them, meaning they could not investigate the complaints, and stated that all observations from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation were considered minor.

The landfill has also pushed back on multiple legal actions over the years, arguing that its operations comply with state procedures and that its expansion applications follow established industry practice.

What Happens Next?

The court will first need to accept the case and eventually decide whether to certify it as a class action — meaning it formally recognizes a large enough group of similarly affected people to proceed as a single lawsuit. That process typically takes months to years.

If the class is certified and the case moves forward, BFI could face a jury trial. Alternatively, the parties could negotiate a settlement at any point — though the City of Murfreesboro’s rejection of the previous 2025 settlement offer signals that residents and officials in this community intend to hold out for more substantial relief.

For residents wanting to report ongoing odor issues while the litigation unfolds, the City of Murfreesboro maintains a public odor reporting portal at murfreesborotn.report.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Middle Point Landfill lawsuit about?

 Two Murfreesboro residents filed a class action lawsuit on April 7, 2026, against BFI Waste Systems of Tennessee, the company that operates Middle Point Landfill. The lawsuit claims BFI failed to properly contain landfill gases, causing noxious odors that harmed residents, workers, and the public.

Can I join this lawsuit?

 No class has been certified yet, so there is no formal way to join at this stage. If the court certifies the class, residents within a certain geographic area of the landfill would likely be automatically included. You do not need to take action now, but you should monitor the case and consider consulting an attorney if you believe you have been harmed.

Is this the same as the earlier Burriss class action from 2021?

 No. This is a separate, newly filed lawsuit. The 2021 Burriss class action produced a proposed settlement that the City of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County both rejected as inadequate. The April 2026 case is an entirely new filing by different plaintiffs.

What is the difference between this lawsuit and the city’s lawsuit?

 The City of Murfreesboro filed its own federal lawsuit in August 2022 over Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act violations — focused on environmental contamination including PFAS in the river and problems with the landfill’s gas collection system. The April 2026 class action is filed by individual residents seeking compensation for personal harm caused by odors and nuisance.

Are there concerns about drinking water near the landfill?

 Yes. The City of Murfreesboro has identified discharges of landfill leachate into the East Fork Stones River, which feeds the Stones River Water Treatment Plant — the source of drinking water for Rutherford County residents. Testing has detected PFAS, aluminum, and ammonia in discharges near the landfill. These findings are part of the city’s separate ongoing federal lawsuit.

What is a class action lawsuit and how does it work? 

A class action is a lawsuit where one or more plaintiffs represent a larger group of people who suffered similar harm from the same defendant. If the court certifies the class and the case succeeds — either through a verdict or a settlement — all class members share in the outcome, rather than each person having to file their own individual case.

Is there a deadline to report odor complaints?

 There is no legal deadline for filing odor complaints through the city’s portal, but documenting complaints now could strengthen your position if the class is later certified and you wish to be included. Report odors at murfreesborotn.report.

What did the court decide about the landfill expansion? 

In February 2026, a Davidson County court blocked BFI from proceeding with its proposed 70-foot vertical expansion of Middle Point Landfill. The court ruled that BFI must first submit its application to the Regional Solid Waste Planning Board for local review, including a public hearing, before the state can consider the expansion.

Last Updated: April 9, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.