Last October, the Environmental Protection Division hit the Macon landfill with 19 violations adding up to a $35,000 fine for the city.

With three months left until the next inspection, assistant director Larry Dunning says they're trying to clean up their act.

"We're starting a new process for self-auditing which is called 'ACT.' Assess the problem, correct the problem, train so the problem's not recurring," he says.

They also budgeted over $500,000 for improvements, including six tons of rock and grass seed to cover 15 acres.

He says, "It eliminatessome of the issues with ponding water and erosion on the slopes and filling up the ditches with silt."

Any stray garbage now gets picked up with the help of state prisoners. Some other big pieces to the puzzle include eleven new methane gas wells and more wildlife traps.

"They will come in. They'll go through the cover we put the night before and expose garbage because they're eating through it and making a huge mess," says Dunning.

The landfill director may work off another $5,000 fine by making 15 city vehicles more environmentally friendly. The upgrade would cost the city around $29,000.

"The state did not want us to use grant money to fix our vehicles. They want us to spend our personal money, our city funds, to get that done."

The state gave them until October 7th to finish up the rest of their projects.