Waste Management Inc. officials set out Tuesday night to impress Cherokee County Council with their plans for a state of the art recycling center and landfill in McKowns Mountain.

The presentation was polished and high-tech, with slide shows and graphics detailing the company's plans, as well as what they could mean for Cherokee County, from creating jobs to essentially subsidizing a large chunk of the county's budget.

A lot more than the seven members of the county council had an interest in the presentation, however. And the hour-long presentation appeared to have little affect on their opinions.

Roughly 300 people packed the Cherokee County Courthouse for Waste Management's presentation and it was easy to separate landfill opponents from the proponents. Both sides passed out stickers for people to wear, whether they were for or against, while opponents from the group known as C.L.O.U.T. (Cherokee Landfill Opposition United Together) took the extra step of wearing red clothing.

A McKowns Mountain resident, who spoke on the condition she not be identified in print, took copious notes during the presentation and said she left the meeting with many unanswered questions about traffic and the potential for leachate contamination.

Opposed to the idea of having a landfill as a neighbor, she said, "I'm actually worse now (against it) than what I was to start out with."

Wilkinsville resident Gerri Keys said she, too, was opposed to the company's plans and wasn't swayed by Waste Management's pitch to county council. "I don't want a huge garbage dump in my back yard," she said while rattling off a long list of potential problems.

For James White, a resident of Sardis Road in McKowns Mountain, which borders the proposed 1,600 acre Waste Management property, the company's pitch only confirmed what he already knew. "It confirmed my opinion we don't want it."

Sissy Brock and Rev. J. W. Sanders Jr., proponents of Waste Management's plans, agreed it was doubtful the presentation would have much impact on anyone who had already made up their minds.

But much like the resolve of the opponents, Brock and Sanders said they walked away from the company's presentation to council just as strong in their beliefs that Waste Management's plans would be good for the county.

Brock said she had told Waste Management official Bob Peeler, "If I thought it was not environmentally sound I would be the first one on the doorstep of the county council asking them them to close (this project) down."

Brock said she supported the emphasis on recycling at the proposed facility adding, "We've got to be better stewards of our land."

Sanders questioned how the county could afford to give up at least $2 million a year in revenue from the Waste Management project, as well as all the jobs it could bring.