Speakers during the public comment period at the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors meeting expressed concerns about the Green Ridge landfill host agreement, which the board will need to negotiate and sign with the facility in order for the landfill to progress.

Board members approved a conditional use permit and rezoning request at the end of June for the approximately 1,200 acre facility, located off Route 60 that will accept household waste, construction and demolition debris and approved industrial waste.

District One Supervisor William “Bill” Osl made a motion during the June 28 meeting to approve the community host agreement contingent on three items: first, establishing “mutually agreed upon language” between the county and Green Ridge for compensation for property owners in close proximity to the landfill site, the second to have County Waste of Virginia as the guarantor of the agreement, not Green Ridge, LLC, and the third to delete fly ash as a cover.

A draft of the community host agreement is available at the county website.

No action was taken by the board in relation to the host community agreement Tuesday.

Speakers detailed concerns about the community host agreement, particularly items relating to radiation monitoring, the amount of waste the county would accept and concerns that the landfill company could change hands, potentially leaving the county and residents responsible for risks associated with the facility.

Ronnau expressed concern about how the landfill would monitor or prevent radiation. Radioactive waste is listed among the unacceptable waste items in the agreement. She expressed concern about radon levels in the ground that could be exposed during the landfill’s construction and operation and asked how the landfill will take specific measures to prevent it and radioactive material from coming into the landfill.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a 2015 radon zone map cited Cumberland and Powhatan as a zone 1 site, which has a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L (pico curies per liter).

She also noted concerns about potential lack of specific criteria or actions for items in the agreement, noting that it could give the county and state less control to monitor the landfill.

After Ronnau’s comments, Board Chairman Kevin Ingle reviewed Ronnau’s request, asking whether she wanted items in the agreement spelled out.

“They say, ‘we shall,’ but it doesn’t say how,” Ronnau said in response to Ingle, noting that construction for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline will be taking place in Buckingham County. “They say they are going to monitor radioactivity. How? I specifically want to know, are they standing there with a monitor?”

Halligan had a similar concern about the host agreement and the potential for major changes in the landfill, even after signage. He noted the maximum daily load for the landfill is 5,000 tons a day but cited a segment of the host agreement that notes “The foregoing amount may be increased with the approval of the County Board of Supervisors by an amendment, in writing, of this Agreement, so long as the increased quantity is permissible under, and is in full compliance with, all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and permits.”

He also said changes in acceptable waste could potentially be redefined, citing a segment in the agreement, section 1.1, Acceptable Waste that states that acceptable waste definition “may from time to time be amended” with notification given to the board of supervisors and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

Citing documentation from the agreement about odor management items, Halligan said “They are acknowledging that there is going to be odor, and noise, and trash, but they are going to do everything to minimize, reduce the impact, but the impact is going to be felt by those around.”

Bruce Allen, who lives on Miller Lane close to the site, said the company should give residents close to the facility an opportunity to move or be compensated. He said he and his neighbors have faced worsening health concerns due to stress and worried about the impact the landfill would have on drinking water of residents closest to the site.

“You all aren’t feeling the stress we are,” Allen said. “The sleepless nights wondering what’s going to happen. You all just can’t imagine we people who live that close to it are going through.”

Christal Schools, who also offered comments on behalf of neighbor Ragnar Gunnarsson, asked who in the county would be responsible for notifying the county of its operations, requested that property owners near the landfill are notified that they could be assisted by Green Ridge before the host agreement is signed, and requested that county residents be able to review the agreement before it is finalized.

She said she planned to stay at her house — the landfill site located at the end of her driveway — and fight against the landfill.

“We are fighting this thing as long as we can,” Schools said, who became emotional.

“There’s so much potential here,” Schools said about the county. “Please just consider it.”

Board Chairman Kevin Ingle said he wrote down questions and comments from the board and would get responses to their questions.

“Yes, there are a lot of things in the host agreement I do think need to be spelled out,” Ingle said. “They need to be exact in their wording.”

“There are a whole lot of things in here that bring quite a bit of merit to your interest and to your concerns,” Ingle said about the agreement. “They will not be overlooked.”