"BURNT....the group that made downtown Nashville what is today" has been said many times but not by Mayors, the Chamber of Commerce, or major realtors.

                                      Below is what they get if they click above

Our Early Projects

BURNT first met on a gray, Sunday afternoon in December 1988 at the

Vanderbilt Center for Health Services.  25 people attended—most disaffected members of Recycle!Nashville the then primary recycling group in Nashville which disappeared because they would not oppose the incinerator expansion [or anything done by the government] and the Cumberland Green Bio Region Council. Our first two meetings were facilitated by Clay, an organizer  with  Center for Health, Environment, and Justice, founded by Lois Gibbs. BURNT’s founder and long time leader Joyce Vaughn convened the meeting. As a group we were  remarkably unknowing about Metro government and process—we did not understand that the incinerator was a long time favorite of the Nashville political establishment. Armed with research by Green Peace and people power, we activated East Nashville and Germantown neighborhoods flexing their considerable muscle. Citizen efforts blossomed—an East Nashville activist filmed the flaming, dripping ash trucks on the streets---News at 10. A downtown businessman and property owner opposes the expansion!  See you at the Public Hearing…bring a friend. From this beginning came the lessons

 1.  Always be research based

             2.     Always offer positive alternatives

             3.     Never be a single issue group because if you win you have nothing to do       [we have shared this with many groups coming to Metro Council on zoning to No avail]

BURNT Contributed to Downtown Nashville Development

Our contribution was to actually work against the vested local and national interests to stop the $250 million expansion of the downtown garbage burning incinerator (1988-1992 – which included a $100 million garbage separator to clean up the burn for the incinerator) and a  Rendering Plant which broad cast noxious meat packing plant odors over downtown, Metro Center, East Nashville, North Nashville, and Germantown (issue lasted from 1993-1996).   BURNT did a lot for downtown.  But Metropolitan government also cleaned up Lower Broadway by eliminating blight inducing land uses including adult entertainment, movie houses, and massage parlors. HOWEVER, our work came at a H-I-G-H price---Our wins cost influential people million$ of dollars. We irritated people. We came to meetings and demanded to be heard---something outside the Nashville Tradition. 

                           BURNT  Has Learned Lessons on Early Issues  

>>>>BURNT also worked with neighboring businesses, particularly Robert Orr Sysco. and UAW Local 737 to shut down Laidlaw-OSCO, a dangerous liquid hazardous waste processor in Cockrill Bend [Nashville]  , 

>>>>we stopped a permitted incinerator in Madison [Nashville],

>>>> a projected purchase of incinerator plans from Austin, Texas.  

>>>>>One of our earliest projects was Southern Services Landfill in North Nashville which has  Inexplicably continued to operate landfilling highly recyclable construction waste.  

 >>>>>helping the neighborhood against White Way Cleaner (Edgehill  Avenue)

development plans after years of polluting practices

>>>>>we also refined and developed our techniques in years of pesticides

work in Metro Schools and at the State Legislature in the early to mid nineties.

Our history, experience, and lessons give us every tool we need to expand.

Given the environment and health issues. we have an obligation to do so.