Wicomico council hears warnings on landfill capacity, plans ban on out‑of‑county trash as Cell 7 work accelerates

Wicomico County officials told the County Council on July 15 that the Newland Park landfill is filling faster than earlier surveys indicated and urged rapid action to extend capacity while the council considers an ordinance to bar out‑of‑county trash.

County landfill staff and outside engineers described recent aerial surveys and on‑site measurements showing steep increases in annual tonnage and limited remaining airspace. Acting landfill superintendent Adam Corey said crews are working multiple operational fixes while preparing to construct Cell 7, and that day‑to‑day operations now require splitting staff and equipment across multiple tasks: “we're effectively splitting our crew in half if not into thirds almost every day of the week,” Corey said.

The council and staff framed two near‑term responses. First, staff has proposed restricting acceptance of commercial haulers’ loads that contain waste generated outside Wicomico County. Second, the county is advancing the design and permitting for Cell 7 and exploring a horizontal expansion across adjacent county parcels. Department of Law and outside consultant EA Engineering described how changes to the county’s refuse disposal permit, state approvals and stormwater controls factor into the schedule.

Why it matters: County engineers and finance staff said available operating revenues and the landfill’s fund balance do not cover the scale of capital work needed for new cell construction without borrowing. That makes the remaining airspace and the mix of local vs. out‑of‑county tonnage central to both operations and finances. Finance deputy director Charles Schmeickel told council that limited past increases to the tipping fee and a jump in tonnage had left the solid‑waste fund unable to self‑finance future cell construction.

What officials told the council - Operations and capacity: Consultant EA Engineering reported an updated volumetric analysis based on two recent aerial surveys (including March 2025) and on‑site checks. That work showed substantially less remaining permitted airspace in some benches than earlier estimates had suggested. - Timing for Cell 7: Staff presented a near‑final (about 60 percent) design for Cell 7, with geotechnical drilling and revised sump placement completed to limit excavation of historic fill and overburden. County staff said they expect to finish the 90–100 percent design work within about 60 days and then submit construction drawings to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) for review; MDE review periods may add time. - Temporary operational measures: To extend working life while Cell 7 is built, staff have begun redirecting haul roads and filling permitted saddles where practical. Those operational moves are possible but slower in wet weather and require additional crew time. - Tonnage drivers and enforcement: Staff reported frequent full truckloads from neighboring jurisdictions and from out‑of‑county haulers. Council and staff discussed codifying a prohibition on out‑of‑county municipal solid waste and an enforcement regime that would allow the department to suspend a commercial hauler’s access for repeated violations.

Council and legal considerations Councilmembers and staff discussed penalties and enforcement steps. The current draft ordinance under consideration would classify violations as civil infractions and create an administrative suspension regime for commercial haulers (first suspension short, escalating to longer suspensions and eventual prohibition for repeated violations). Legal counsel and administration agreed that the county cannot change the landfill’s permitted hours beyond what MDE allows; proposed local code language would focus on access and penalties rather than altering state permit obligations.

Finance and contingency Council deputy finance director Charles Schmeickel emphasized the financial constraints: historically low tipping fees followed by a sharp rise in tonnage mean the solid‑waste enterprise lacks a reliable sinking fund for cell construction. Schmeickel recommended predictable, incremental tipping‑fee increases and setting aside an annual target for future cell construction and capital replacement to avoid recurring bond financing.

What happens next The council asked staff to refine an ordinance banning out‑of‑county municipal solid waste, to propose a feasible enforcement and notice procedure, and to return with a more detailed cash‑flow and tipping‑fee scenario that shows the impact if out‑of‑county tonnage drops. Staff also committed to advancing Cell 7 design to 100 percent and to coordinate permitting and stormwater work with MDE to shorten approval time.

Ending note The council did not take a final vote on an ordinance during the session; councilmembers and staff said they will continue collaborative work sessions and community briefings while advancing permitting and enforcement plans.