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Residents, council members press for information on landfill height, truck traffic and capping near Route 9/13
Summary
Multiple residents and council members raised concerns about the local construction-and-debris landfill serving the Route 9/13 corridor — questions focused on current height, capping status, out-of-state loads and truck traffic through nearby neighborhoods.
Speakers at New Castle County' Council's March 25 meeting pressed county officials for clearer information about the landfill along the Route 9/13 corridor, its permitted height, capping status and the volume of truck traffic serving the site.
Dora Williams, a Route 9 resident and member of Route 9 CDC and Delaware Concerned Residents for Environmental Justice, said community members remembered past limits and wanted clarity on whether the landfill remained capped at the previously discussed heights. "I know that, it was supposed to be capped at a 40," she said during public comment, asking council members to confirm the current status and whether the operator had sought increases.
Councilwoman Durham responded that parts of the site are at 140 feet and "are capped or being capped," while other sections remained below that elevation and were still being landfilled. Durham said she had checked with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and, as of a week before the meeting, DNREC had not received a new permit application for an increase.
Councilman Street pressed for continued follow-up and said he had repeatedly requested precise information on height and closure timing. Rob Bullock, president of the 9-13 Community Alliance, told council he and neighborhood groups would keep pressure on the county, saying the landfill was "poison in our community" and criticizing the daily truck traffic that passes through local neighborhoods.
A council member observed that the local facility is a C&D (construction-and-debris) landfill and said the site receives material from out of state, which residents found concerning. David Culver, the county's land-use director, was present in chambers and community members noted that land-use staff have provided periodic updates; Culver did not provide new permit details on the record at the meeting.
Why it matters: Residents described traffic, visual impacts and long-term pollution risks tied to the landfill, and asked for specific DNREC and county answers on permitted height and closure. Council members signaled they would continue to seek information and confirm permitting status.
Ending: Council members and residents requested follow-up from land-use staff and DNREC; speakers said they would continue community engagement and urge county oversight until the site reaches final closure or other permit changes are confirmed.
