Residents on Lookout Mountain worry about how the New portion of the Durham Trail will affect them and wildlife.
Resident Jill Wyse says, "I'm concerned with how rock creek is being treated and with the environment up here."
Jill Wyse is opposed to the trail.
"It is a beautiful land shed and it needs to be protected," says Wyse.
Wyse's main concerns stem from a consent order by the Environment Protection Division.
News 12 obtained a copy of that order.
"They thought we dumped dirt into the creek but we didn't dump dirt in the creek," says Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell.
The EPD's consent order says the investigation found pollutant had been deposited into Rock Creek.
Officials say a prior mine in the area caused a lot of rock damage.
"You have problems with the trout even being able to migrate up and down the creek so that has been restored."
Wyse says, "Trout can not live in sentiment it kills the trout eggs."
The EPD ordered Walker County to pay a settlement of 65-thousand dollars.
That can be used for a Supplemental Environmental project, approved by the EPD.
"$65,000 to me though that's a lot of money and I don't look at that as being a break and Walker county should have known better."
Walker County admits no wrongdoing or violations.
They have submitted a corrective action plan and can continue work on the trail.
"There's already 90 miles of them up here and that's enough, we need to use our money wisely," says Wyse.
Residents say they'll continue to fight this extension.
