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To the Editor:

There were some surprises in Green Ridge’s recent response to DEQ questions and comments regarding their review of the Part A siting application. Green Ridge may have to blast out up to 30 feet of bedrock on a 10-acre section of the landfill to make room for the bottom of the landfill (liner and leachate collection system). But, the Cumberland County zoning regulations don’t allow a rock quarry as a permitted use or as a conditional use. So, the original rezoning approval and Conditional Use Permit issued in 2018 by the Cumberland County (Board of Supervisors) could be null and void. Zoning aside, constructing a liner and leachate collection system over fractured bedrock represents an unwise engineering practice and would present a huge risk to the underlying ground water.

Based on the Draft FEMA 100-year flood plain map, 300 feet of the landfill entranceway is in the 100-year flood plain created by the flooding of Maple Swamp Creek. Green Ridge may have to move the entranceway to Pine Grove Road or construct a 300-foot bridge over the Maple Swamp Creek floodplain.

Green Ridge’s lack of planning has and will lead to huge delays, additional costs and hopefully cause GFL Environmental (parent of Green Ridge) to pull the plug on this ill-conceived enterprise.

Keith Buch

Powhatan