Several amendments were made to the Green Ridge Community Host Agreement following the closed session of the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors’ meeting July 9.

One of the most notable amendments include that the landfill service area will no longer accept waste from New York or New Jersey, and that County Waste of Virginia changed its payment schedule to Cumberland County.

The initial community host agreement was approved in August 2018.

The approved amendment concerning waste, which is located in Section 1.4 of the agreement, states “The maximum allowable service area of the Landfill for which Green Ridge may apply to (Virginia Department of Environmental Quality) VDEQ for a Permit will be 500 miles aerial radial distance. Provided, however, the service area will not include the States of New York and New Jersey. Provided, further, the Landfill may accept Disaster Waste for disposal from within the continental United States upon the written agreement of the Parties hereto and the written approval of VDEQ.”

The agreement and District Three Supervisor Kevin Ingle said that the landfill could accept waste from disaster sites.

During the July 9 meeting, four supervisors voted to approve the amendments. District Two Supervisor Lloyd Banks voted in opposition.

Green Ridge spokesperson Jay Smith said County Waste of Virginia initially brought up the idea that the county not accept waste from New York or New Jersey. Smith said this was done to address concern that Green Ridge would accept a high volume of waste from other states.

“We have agreed not to accept one pound of trash from New York or New Jersey,” Smith said.

“We have taken that off the table,” Smith said, saying that Green Ridge would accept a large portion of waste from Virginia. He said it would not decrease the total tonnage disposed at Green Ridge, but it would restrict where the waste comes from.

Smith said the agreement was also amended to change County Waste of Virginia’s payment schedule to Cumberland County.

According to the amended community host agreement, Green Ridge is now set to prepay Cumberland County host fees.

Amended Section 2.1 b. states “Green Ridge shall prepay to the County $400,000 in Host Fees. The prepayment shall be made after June 30, 2019 but no later than July 31, 2019, provided the rezoning of and conditional use permit for the Landfill is final and unappealable. To the extent the necessary rezoning of and conditional use permit for the Landfill is not final and unappealable by July 31, 2019, the prepayment shall occur by July 31, 2019 or ten days after the rezoning of the Landfill is final and unappealable, whichever is later. This prepayment will be credited against, and thereby shall reduce, the Host Fees (including the minimum host fee of $400,000) that are due and payable after Operation of the Landfill commences.”

The original host agreement cited that “within ninety (90) days of receiving unappealable and final zoning approvals to construct and operate the Landfill on the property, including all necessary conditional use permits, Green Ridge will prepay to the County $150,000.00 in Host Fees. One year following the payment of the said $150,000 prepayment, Green Ridge shall prepay an additional $250,000 in Host Fees. These prepayments shall be credited against, and thereby shall reduce, the Host Fees (including the minimum host fee of $400,000) that are due and payable after Operation of the Landfill commences.”

Amended Section 2.2 states, “After receiving unappealable and final zoning approvals to construct and operate the Landfill on the property, including all necessary conditional use permits, Green Ridge will pay to the County or its designee $100,000. The payment will be made after June 30, 2019 but no later than July 31, 2019. To the extent the zoning approvals, including any conditional use permit, are not final and unappealable by June 30, 2019, then the payment will be made by July 31, 2019 or ten days after the zoning approvals are final and unappealable, whichever is later.”

The original host agreement did not specify the prepayment date range between June 30 and July 31.

Due to the amendments made, there was a question of whether County Waste of Virginia sold the Green Ridge property.

Smith denied there has been sale of any property. Smith said Cifor also denied this.

“County Waste has not sold the Green Ridge property,” Smith said.

More of the amendments made to the community host agreement will be published in a later Herald report.