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County consultant presents Amherst County 20-year solid waste management plan; board takes no action
Summary
SCS Engineers consultant Quinn Bernier reviewed the county’s 20-year solid waste management plan, reporting that projected daily landfill intake under maximum scenarios (122 tons per day) remains below the permitted 200 tons per day; the board opened a public hearing with no public speakers and was not required to take action.
SCS Engineers consultant Quinn Bernier presented Amherst County’s 20-year solid waste management plan and summarized projections, recycling efforts and landfill capacity during the Board of Supervisors meeting.
Bernier told the board the plan uses a per-capita generation figure of 6.2 pounds of municipal solid waste per person per day based on 2019–2023 disposal averages and U.S. Census population projections. Using that data, the plan’s maximum projection for landfill intake was 122 tons per day, which the presenter said is below the county’s permitted limit of 200 tons per day. Bernier also noted the county is projected to see a steady population decline in the planning horizon, which factors into lower projected tonnage.
Bernier said the plan keeps landfilling as the county’s primary disposal method, notes that a new landfill cell is planned, and recommends maintaining six convenience centers for resident drop-off. The plan sets an aggressive local recycling goal of 25%, above the Virginia minimum of 15%, and includes a long-term objective to reestablish glass recycling.
Board members asked whether local development (for example, in Madison Heights) was reflected in the projections; Bernier said the demographic sections document local development but the projections are based on U.S. Census and Virginia Employment Commission data and avoid conjecture. Bernier and county staff emphasized the plan reports ‘‘what is’’ for VDEQ reporting, rather than speculative future growth.
Regarding recent operational changes, county staff (Mr. Thacker) said commercial tonnage declined after implementation of a tipping fee that moved from $0 to $44 per ton; he said the county nonetheless saw roughly $250,000 in additional revenue from those fees and that one commercial hauler ceased operations while another shifted to a different landfill. Board members asked staff to provide follow-up financial detail comparing projections to actuals.
The board opened and closed a public hearing on the plan with no speakers; because the 20-year plan requires DEQ submittal but not an immediate board action in this instance, staff indicated that no formal vote by the board was required at the meeting. The plan will proceed toward VDEQ review per the regulatory schedule.
