Council members publicly oppose proposal to raise landfill height; debate surfaces during public comment

Councilman Street used the public‑comment portion of the Sept. 9 New Castle County Council meeting to say he would not support raising the cap at the landfill in question to 185 feet, and urged that the county resist requests from Waste Management. Councilman Hollins echoed Street, saying he had no intention of supporting any lifting of the cap.

Street said he had been approached about raising the landfill to at least 185 feet and described the proposal as unacceptable to him and his constituents: “I’m not gonna do any such thing … I will fight this to with every else of strength that I have because it's fundamentally unfair,” he said. Hollins stated plainly that he would not support lifting the cap, saying that opposition was consistent with his prior positions.

Rob Bullock, president of the Route 9/13 Community Alliance Coalition, also addressed the landfill and related neighborhood concerns during public comment. Bullock described long‑standing community opposition to the landfill and urged council members to remain accountable to residents.

The floor discussion included council members stressing prior legislative efforts to limit landfill height and references to ongoing water and traffic concerns near the site. No formal motion regarding the landfill was introduced at the meeting; the comments were part of the public‑comment period and did not change policy during the session.

Ending: Council members’ public opposition signals resistance to any near‑term proposals to increase the landfill’s permitted height; decisions on landfill approvals would require future formal proceedings.