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More than a year and a half after filing its Part A Notice of Intent (NOI) application to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) the Green Ridge Recycling and Disposal Facility continues to seek permit approval for the project.

More than three years have passed since the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors approved the landfill, slated to be built on 1,200 acres of land in the eastern portion of the county. The proposed site will include an approximately 240-acre disposal area and has an anticipated lifespan of around 25-30 years.

The landfill is expected to provide Cumberland County with between $1.3 million and $2.7 million annually, depending on the volume of garbage received.

Officials have confirmed they are continuing to work toward acquiring the necessary permits for the project to begin construction.

On Monday, Nov. 22, Green Ridge spokesperson Jay Smith noted the company continues to work through the various permit applications at both the state and federal levels.

“We have not encountered any major issues that we believe would prevent Green Ridge from obtaining the necessary permits, but we continue to work with the various agencies to complete the processes,” he said.

Smith noted it would be difficult to approximate when specific permits will be issued. There are a number of requirements for the landfill project, including obtaining a Wetland and Waters of the U.S. permit from the Army Corps of Engineering. The landfill will require water, solid waste and air permits from the DEQ, including Part A: site suitability and Part B: landfill design.

On top of this, Green Ridge will need approval of its phase II and mitigation plans from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and approval of entrance and road location from the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Smith noted permitting is not necessarily sequential, and significant overlap exists between the permits.

“We remain confident that our project meets all permitting requirements, and when the permits are issued, we’ll be ready to move to the next phase,” he added.