Other than Atlantic Waste Services’ officials, none of the more than 200 people who packed the Olive Branch Baptist Church fellowship hall Monday night to learn about the company’s proposed landfill in Black Creek expressed support for the project.

Those in opposition to the Pooler company’s possible municipal solid waste landfill included the church’s pastor, the Rev. Clint Sullens.

In between greeting the scores of people who filed into the hall, Sullens talked about how part of the site of the proposed landfill is directly behind the church at 55 Heape Drive and his house next door.

The church property covers a little more than 2 acres. It and the site of the proposed 268-acre landfill are south of I-16 and west of Olive Branch Road.

Sullens said Atlantic Waste officials earlier this year offered to help the church expand by giving it 5 acres of the company’s land if the landfill was permitted.

“My answer was, ‘No, we’re not interested,’” the reverend said. “We are landlocked, and they thought it would soften the congregation’s feeling toward (the possible landfill).”

Inside the fellowship hall, Atlantic Waste President Burke Wall and his son, Atlantic Waste Vice President Ben Wall, did their best to alleviate residents’ fears about landfills.

Burke Wall told the crowd that getting a landfill established involves a lengthy process and that the meeting “will be your first chance to fuss at us a little bit.”

For more, pick up a copy of the March 30 edition of the News.