Speaker 1 (unidentified official) told the Loudon County Commission on Dec. 9 that work at the county landfill has been delayed by weather but that crews have installed two of three catch basins and will pave the internal road when conditions allow. "We were delayed a week on that…the goal was to get started the week after Thanksgiving," Speaker 1 said, adding the contractor expects to finish "before the New Year" if weather permits.

The official described a set of short-term and longer-term measures to stop sediment from leaving the landfill onto Highway 72: creating a rocked rumble strip from the wheel wash to the hill, daily sweeping of the adjacent quarter-mile of 72, and moving infrastructure upslope so scales and vehicle paths sit further on landfill property. "We're gonna tape from the wheel wash up to the hill, and that's all gonna be rocked as a giant rumble strip," Speaker 1 said. Two catch basins are installed, the third will be installed after paving, and a wheel wash is being upgraded.

Speaker 1 said the county received approval for two new modules and has a robust tipping pad for new cells. County staff said they expect to move off the landfill's "top deck" within two weeks after Christmas and to have the new cell open "by the fifteenth at the latest." The county also reported that two working phases have Conditional Quality Assurance (CQA) approval.

Environmental controls remain in progress: staff reported granite rock and pipe for a tow drain are on-site but installation is awaiting delivery of geotextile material from Agru. "I'm waiting for geotextile, which I haven't gotten confirmation of shipment yet," Speaker 1 said about the tow drain timeline.

The county emphasized operational practices to limit sediment: segregating municipal solid waste for the new cell so the initial 6 feet of fill meets fluff requirements, and using ground mulch to shore up slopes and roads until paving is complete. Officials also noted that they do not wash sediment directly into conveyance channels and will manage wash water on paved surfaces and through stormwater infrastructure once paving is done.

The meeting concluded without any formal vote on these items because two commissioners were absent; staff said they will return with documentation and a site update at the January meeting.