And after ongoing confusion over who exactly should be keeping tabs on a private landfill that was designed to accept only “green” waste, such as vegetation and tree stumps, but in the past had been found to have tires and other potentially harmful materials on-site.Ivey’s declaration came as state environmental officials formally asked the EPA to lead the effort to put out the sprawling underground blaze, acknowledging they do not have the expertise to tackle such a fire.I’ve just felt like I’m not getting anywhere getting this situation under control.” Without authorization from the state, Batemon said, the county has had no authority to spend public money on private property.“It has exposed gaps in the state’s regulation of the environment,” said Michael Hansen, executive director of the Greater-Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution, which has a ticker on its website tracking how long the fire has been burning.Alabama officials said the underground fire poses “extreme hazards” to firefighters and other responders because of the risks of cave-ins and flare-ups, as well as the volume of vegetative matter that has been buried at the site over the years."