February 7, 2017

Joint Statement from the parties on the dismissal of the lawsuit Green Group v. Schaeffer

Green Group Holdings LLC and Howling Coyote LLC (“Green Group”), owners and operators of the Arrowhead Landfill in Uniontown, Alabama, and members of Black Belt Citizens Fighting for Health and Justice (“BBCFHJ”) announce that they have engaged in discussions which have led to the voluntary and permanent dismissal of the litigation filed by Green Group against members of BBCFHJ.

Green Group has dismissed its claims with prejudice, and the defendants have foregone their right to bring counterclaims for libel, slander, or malicious prosecution. BBCFHJ recognizes that Green Group has voluntarily withdrawn this lawsuit, and hopes this decision signals a new direction in the company’s approach to community relations. Green Group appreciates BBCFHJ’s devotion to its community and its members’ First Amendment right to engage in speech on matters of public concern, including the landfill’s operations in Uniontown.

GreenGroup renews its commitments both to listening to community concerns arising from those operations and to abiding by all laws, including local ordinances, state law and state agency rules and regulations, and federal statutes, in its operation of Arrowhead Landfill.

Both Green Group and BBCFHJ are hopeful that, in the future, matters of concern to the community can be resolved through dialogue rather than lawsuits.