The process on the Green Ridge facility has come to a head as the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing Thursday, 6:30 p.m. at Cumberland County Elementary School to consider a rezoning request and conditional use permit for the landfill.

Below is a list of items that we know so far about the landfill. The list does not cover all of the items related to the landfill but does contain a range of subjects about the proposed project. Additional information can be found at cumberlandcounty.virginia.gov.

• The conditional use permit and rezoning request were received by the county May 25.

• An ad was published in The Farmville Herald May 30, June 1 and June 6 about a community meeting that would feature Cumberland County and Green Ridge developers.

• The county held a community meeting for the facility June 7.

• The facility will accept household waste, construction and demolition debris and approved industrial waste.

• The landfill has a life span of 35 years and will be built in two phases, with an eastern end built first, followed by a western end. Roads located on the western end, Pinegrove Road and Miller Lane, would potentially be relocated.

• The facility is estimated to bring between $1.4-2.7 million to Cumberland County.

• There are 69 addresses within 0.25 miles of the proposed facility, according to a proximity map from the Cumberland County Planning Commission. There are 214 addresses within 1 mile of the facility. There are 504 addresses within 2 miles of the facility, and 1,158 addresses within 5 miles of the facility. Addresses are from ZIP codes 23139, 23040 and 23027. The locations are address points only and that there may or may not be a dwelling at any given address point.

• The Cumberland County Planning Commission held a public hearing June 14, a continued meeting June 18, and a regular meeting June 25.

• Pine Grove School, located in Cumberland County near the proposed landfill site, is one of several dozen school for African-American students built with funds from philanthropist and president of Sears Roebuck, Julius Rosenwald. The issue was addressed by Cumberland residents due to its close proximity to the proposed site. A letter from Justin Serafin, director of preservation initiatives and engagement from Preservation Virginia, said the Pine Grove School was one 360 schoolhouses of its kind built in Virginia. Of the 360, it’s likely that less than a quarter of the schools remain intact. County Waste of Virginia representatives said in a question and answer sheet listed on the Cumberland County website that the facility is expected to have little impact in the area of the school as it is located on the other side of Route 654, but that they understood the concern and would support restoration efforts to the school from conditions created by age or neglect.

• The process to create a referendum that would place the landfill on the ballot was headed by Bill Bruce, who filed a statement of petitioner and received a certificate confirming the Cumberland County Circuit Court had filed Bruce’s statement and could get signatures.

• The facility is proposed to accept between 3,500 and 5,000 tons of waste a day.

• The conditional use permit cites that with full capacity of 5,000 tons of waste a day, there would be approximately 300 trucks a day. The permit cites “off-peak” hours, including nighttime hours that the trucks will enter the landfill site area. Jay Zook with County Waste of Virginia cited the majority of vehicles entering the facility, more than 50 percent, will enter between midnight to 5 a.m.

• Cumberland County’s fiscal year 2018-2019 budget has a $500,000 shortfall. District Four Supervisor David Meinhard said during a district meeting on the facility that the county could accept the landfill, eliminate the county’s land use tax program, which would allow for $700,000 annually, or raise taxes and create cuts to county services.

• A traffic impact statement was conducted by engineering firm Davenport, based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The current level of service for Route 60 ranges from B to C, with B traffic taking place between noon and 1 p.m. and 9 and 10 p.m. C grade traffic often comes between 7-8 a.m., 5-6 p.m. and 6-7 p.m. Attorney representing County Waste of Virginia, William Shewmake, said the route expects to keep the same grade even with the presence of the landfill vehicles. According to a document of questions collected during the commission’s June 18 meeting, the study was undertaken within the past 60 days.

• The traffic count used in the study was collected by Virginia Department of Transportation in a 2017 study found at the Virginia Department of Transportation website. http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/Traffic_2017/AADT_024_Cumberland_2017.pdf

• In response to a question about site run off, County Waste of Virginia representatives cited that site run off that has not contacted waste would be collected through a series of stormwater retention ponds, stormwater conveyance channels and others at the facility site, according to a document found at the Cumberland County website. http://www.cumberlandcounty.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/2018-06/Q%26A%20from%206.18.18.pdf

• Stormwater that contacts waste is defined as leachate and would be managed under a separate set of regulations with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Green Ridge representatives cited in a county document. Site run off regulations are VDEQ – Landfill permitting; VDEQ – Permit for Discharges of stormwater from construction activities; and VDEQ – Permit for Discharges of stormwater from industrial activities. The leachate system would not be linked to the stormwater system. Stormwater that has collected waste would be classified as leachate and would be separated from stormwater retention and collected, stored and transported for treatment. 

• Green Ridge will have a recycling disposal center on-site.

• Green Ridge is operated by County Waste of Virginia.

• The Green Ridge facility will be located off Route 60 west, in the areas of Route 654 and Route 685. The facility will be approximately 1,143.872 acres.

• Liner for the facility uses a membrane. The membrane will be made of 60 mil high-density polyethylene. 1 mil is equal to 1/1,000 of an inch, according to Lynn Klappich, engineer with Draper Aden Associates.

• There will be between 30-35 full time jobs on-site when Green Ridge becomes operational, according to the conditional use permit.

• This is the first landfill County Waste of Virginia has undertaken.

• Powhatan County, located on Route 60, has approximately 100 bus stops are on Route 60 in Powhatan County, with between 50-100 bus stops on Route 522 in Powhatan. Kim Hymel, Powhatan County School Board District Five representative, said the majority of buses travel through Route 60 between 6-9 a.m., and 2-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, from September to June.

• Powhatan County Board of Supervisors introduced Resolution R-2017-26 during its June 25 meeting, titled “Respectfully Requesting the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors to not approve Green Ridge Landfill’s request to rezone and a Conditional Use Permit Application for 1200+ acres.” http://www.powhatanva.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06252018-583

• The conditional use permit for the facility asks the county to “permit a municipal (sanitary) landfill and related uses including a convenience and recycling center, transfer station, composting operation and gas energy power plant.”

• The rezoning request asks to change zoning for 15 land parcels totaling 1,143.872 acres designated as Agricultural 2 and Residential 2 to Industrial (M-2).

• The commission voted to recommend denial of the rezoning request. Four commission members voted recommending denial of the rezoning request, one abstaining, and two voting to recommend approval of rezoning.

• The commission voted six in favor of recommending the conditional use permit with the commission’s recommendations to the board with one voting not in favor.