Waste Connections landfill expansion

Representatives with Waste Connections, previously Team Waste, appeared before the board of supervisors to ask support of a 39-acre expansion of the Quad County Landfill.

Wally Carter said the public process to obtain a permit to expand the landfill is on the way.

The original site is built to last 20 years, Carter said. The company is seeking to expand the landfill because Waste Connections wants to start shifting solid waste from the Walnut facility to Marshall County, he said.

Andrew Densing said the landfill will last another 20 to 30 years upon this expansion.

District 3 supervisor Keith Taylor said there is a plan for a subdivision across the road from that property.

Carter said even though the acreage requested is not that large, it has a deep valley that will accommodate more solid waste.

Taylor said it will not be close to anyone’s house.

“It’s a huge financial incentive for the county,” Carter said.

It will mean $1 million in host fees for the county, he said.

District 1 supervisor Charles Terry said he was concerned that District 5 supervisor Ronnie Joe Bennett was not present at the meeting to hear the presentation.

“You are saying there is plenty of time?” Terry asked.

“We want to just start the process and after the pubic hearing the board will have 90 days to act on the public hearing,” Carter said.

“Until we take that final vote, we can talk about the issues,” Taylor said.

“It’s an open process and everyone has an opportunity to discuss it,” Carter said.

Discussion concluded, District 2 supervisor Eddie Dixon made a motion to allow the process to begin and the motion passed with the four supervisors present voting in favor of the motion.

Terry used the occasion to bring up concerns constituents are raising about getting their rubbish and old appliances picked up.

“Tell the public why you don’t pick it up,” Terry said.

Steven Litton with the group said drivers are instructed to pick up rubbish at the location in front of the property where the garbage container is set out. The company does not just pick up garbage anywhere along the road, he said.

Densing added that if the rubbish is put out in front of a house on Highway 72, the company can’t pick up the rubbish because of highway traffic.

District 4 supervisor George Zinn III asked what the customer does in that case. Do they call the company and report it?

Carter said the rubbish truck runs the same route the same day as the regular garbage pickup.

“There’s a couple of incidents when a person dumped rubbish in front of a house,” Zinn said.

“We can’t go on private property,” Carter said. “Normally, the driver may think it is an illegal dump site. We have to know it goes with the house.”