Judge: Conecuh Woods must name investors
Published 2:27 pm Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Conecuh Woods LLC has 10 days to reveal the names of the financial backers for its plan to build a massive landfill on 5,100 acres of land near Repton, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Conecuh Woods and the Conecuh County Commission have been sued by the Town of Repton — which was joined by several surrounding communities and Escambia County — over the landfill. The Conecuh County Commission voted 3-2 two years ago to approve the landfill.
Repton Mayor Terri Carter said Wednesday that getting the names of the investors in Conecuh Woods has been a goal of the opposition from the beginning.
“If you don’t know who your enemies are, how are you going to fight them?” Carter said.
Attorneys for the city will also be given financial information about the investors, but only the names will be made public, Carter said.
The town hopes to look at the names to see if any of them donated to the campaigns of Conecuh County commissioners or other officials.
Carter also pointed out that attorneys for the city and Citizens for a Clean Southwest Alabama — the grassroots group fighting the landfill — have already given information about CCSA members to the defendants’ attorneys.
Judge Burt Smithart of Bullock County is hearing the case because local judges recused themselves due to conflict of interest.
Escambia County, Atmore, Brewton and Flomaton joined the lawsuit in September 2011, arguing they would also be affected by the landfill.
The next hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. June 20, when the judge will decide on a motion for summary judgment by the plaintiffs.