Oak Ridge Today

Gov. Lee says he will not extend stay-at-home order past April 30

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Bill Lee

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Monday said he will not extend the state’s stay-at-home order past April 30, and most businesses in 89 of Tennessee’s 95 counties will be allowed to re-open on May 1.

“Our Economic Recovery Group is working with industry leaders around the clock so that some businesses can open as soon as Monday, April 27,” Lee said. “These businesses will open according to specific guidance that we will provide in accordance with state and national experts in both medicine and business.”

The governor said his administration will work with Shelby, Madison, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, and Sullivan counties and their health departments as they plan their own strategies for re-opening.

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County asks you to bring only household garbage to convenience centers, landfill

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The convenience center on Warehouse Road in east Oak Ridge is pictured above on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Anderson County is asking you to bring only household garbage to convenience centers and the Chestnut Ridge landfill for now as the volume of waste increases while more people are staying at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The request comes as the stay-at-home order issued by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Thursday, April 2, remains in effect through at least Tuesday, April 14.

In a press release, Geoff Trabalka, supervisor of Anderson County Solid Waste Management, said many residents have extra time because of the stay-at-home order, and some are trying to make the most of that extra time by cleaning homes, making repairs, and working in yards, among other activities.

“All of these activities produce a large quantity of added material to the waste stream,” the press release said. “In the last two weeks, Anderson County has seen an extreme increase in waste being brought to its convenience centers, and to the Chestnut Ridge Landfill, particularly on Saturdays. This has raised the volume of garbage being hauled to 1.5 to 2 times the normal volume. Yard waste and bulk waste items like furniture and appliances are a great portion of that increase.”

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