Former recycle truck driver says he was “just following orders” when taking recycle material to the landfill, and Director Barnes made “inaccurate statements” to public.

Below is an audio interview with Mr. BC Smith. Smith was a former driver for public works and dumped recycle materials in the landfill transport station for two years.

BC Smith, a former truck driver with the City Hattiesburg, went on the record in a taped interview.  Smith came forward after learning of the video published by this outlet, which showed a city recycle truck dumpling recyclable materials into a container. The container was headed for a landfill. Citizens pay extra for the recycle service.

Public Works Director, Larry Barnes told the community in a letter that the incident on video was an "isolated incident." Smith said Barnes was making,

"inaccurate statements."

Smith says that Barnes' claim that the video tape, which showed the truck dumping recycle material at a dump transfer station, was not an "isolated incident."  Smith told the Hattiesburg Patriot that during the approximate two years when he drove a recycle truck, on his route, he only took his recyclable material to the sort center in Sumrall a couple of times.

Smith said he was directed to let the recycle materials sit overnight in the truck. The following morning he was told to dump garbage on top of the previous days' collected recyclables. Smith said that over the two years he worked his route,  he had only been to the Sumrall recycle sort center,

"maybe one or two times".

Smith says he was directed by his manager Oliver Gilmore to take the material to the landfill transport station, just like he claims the current driver, George, was ordered to do. Smith said,

"George was following orders just like I was. He wasn't acting on his own will,"