Opponents of LHR Farms, a septic waste operation, say the county is back to square one, after the White County Board of Commissioners announced Monday that it is no longer negotiating a voluntary monitoring agreement with LHR Farms.

“We are no longer engaged in any kind of negotiations with LHR,” White County Commission Chairman Chris Nonnemaker said. “The negotiations were halted on the recommendation of our environmental attorney Joan Sasine.”

In April, the county hired Sasine of the environmental law firm Powell Goldstein LLP of Atlanta.

Nonnemaker said Sasine advised the county to end negotiations after LHR Farms sent local officials a “red-penned” draft of the voluntary monitoring agreement.