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Editor’s note: The Green Ridge landfill workshop hearing covered here has nothing to do with the lawsuit filed against Cumberland County. That is still scheduled to be heard in court on Feb. 6. 

The new proposal is smaller than the original. Some things have been removed and other parts added. But as far as a yes or no goes, that decision is still a long ways off. On Monday, Jan. 27, Cumberland residents and members of the planning commission went through the newest application from Green Ridge Recycling and Disposal, during the first of two scheduled workshops about the proposed landfill. 

“What is Green Ridge now? In 2018, it was a non-hazardous municipal solid waste facility and it still is, it’s just going to be smaller and less intensive,” said Will Shewmake, an attorney with Woods Rogers that represented the company. 

But while some pieces of the proposal changed, the main argument is very similar to the one residents heard last fall. The argument by Green Ridge is that if Cumberland supervisors had no problems approving the original conditional use permit back in 2018, then they shouldn’t have concerns about the newest version of the project, as it’s much smaller and allegedly has no impact on wetlands or streams. 

“In approving the 2018 (permit), the Board determined that the project would not negatively impact adjacent and nearby properties,” Green Ridge officials wrote in their latest permit request. “By reducing the scope and intensity of the project, the proposed CUP further ensures that the project will be compatible with the surrounding properties and will not diminish existing surrounding property values.” 

Green Ridge officials also pointed out that Cumberland went through a countywide real estate reassessment after the 2018 conditional use permit was approved. As property values in the area didn’t decline, that proves the larger project didn’t have a negative impact, Green Ridge officials argued in the permit request. Those had been two of the larger concerns in the public hearings last year. There were no public comments on Monday, as this was set aside just for Green Ridge officials to present and for planning commission members to ask questions. Residents will have a chance to comment during the upcoming public hearing, commission members assured those in the room. 

Green Ridge landfill project goes through changes 

The major part residents came to hear is the discussion about what would be changing. Again, if you had been at the fall meetings, the answer is not much. The proposal remains much the same as it did then. The 1,177 acre site will now only have 104 acres of active disposal area, down from 650 acres originally. The current plan also includes about 200 acres for operations and then the remaining space will serve as a buffer. 

But that doesn’t mean it would permanently be that size. Currently, Green Ridge doesn’t have the permits needed to build on or disturb wetlands, creeks and streams. Shewmake said once the company gets those, things could change. 

“Now there may be expansions if we do get federal permits to disturb wetlands or streams,” Shewmake said. “But given that we’re not relocating Pinegrove Road, which significantly alters the size, the height, the scope of the project, we know that we will be nowhere near what was anticipated in terms of the actual waste disposal area.” 

The amount of waste being hauled in would also be dramatically reduced. Originally set at 5,000 tons per day, that was dropped back to 3,500 tons. And in the beginning, in order to have no impact on wetlands or streams, the project would have to send trash trucks on Pinegrove Road. That means cutting back further, to 1,500 tons per day or 75 trucks. So where are these trucks coming from? 80% will be from Virginia and out of that number, 30% will be from Southwest Virginia. 

What about the timing? 

Another change is the planned hours of operation. Originally, this was going to be a 24-hour 7-day a week operation. Under the changes, it would be open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to noon on Saturday and closed on Sunday. The entrance will be gated and locked at any other time. 

“It would also have a convenience center, for Cumberland residents to have their waste dropped off,” said Shewmake, an attorney with the Norfolk-based law firm Woods Rogers. He led the Jan. 27 meeting and represented Green Ridge, identifying changes and answering questions. 

To cut down on odor, the landfill also won’t accept sludge, processed construction debris or flyash for waste disposal. 

Shewmake also told planning commission members there could be an energy component to the operation. As part of construction, a scale house, landfill offices, a maintenance facility and a gas conversion/energy plant on the site. 

Who’s monitoring the Green Ridge landfill? 

How will banned substances be kept out of the landfill, planning commission members asked. How will the trash be monitored? Shewmake said the attendant will screen out any unauthorized vehicles and those with unauthorized cargo. Also, access after operating hours will be allowed only to Green Ridge employees and landfill personnel. The same goes for trucks. If it’s after hours, only vehicles owned and operated by Green Ridge personnel will be allowed inside the facility, Shewmake said. 

He added that Green Ridge will also hire people to patrol both the facility and surrounding public property for trash, including any public roads within a half mile of the new intersection of the access road and State Route 60, as well as at the intersection with Route 685. 

Planning commission members also reflected on Shewmake’s words, how he kept saying things like “at this point” or “initial layout”. They wanted to make sure what was being shown on the screen Monday is what would be constructed, if the project gets approved. 

Shewmake said he replied that way because there could be some slight changes if Green Ridge gets approved for state and federal permits. 

What happens next? 

Up next will be the second workshop for the planning commission, where they’ll have a chance to ask more questions. That is set for Monday, Feb. 10, starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Cumberland Middle School Cafeteria, located at 16 School Road in Cumberland. 

Planning commission chairman Steve Rosen this is very much a work in progress. 

“Our goal here as the planning commission is to take our time and make sure everything is thoroughly investigated,” Rosen said. “We want to be very transparent in how we do things and not in a hurry. That’s why we scheduled two workshops.”