Meridian Waste describes community donations and landfill gas-to-energy plan; county told 2023 tipping fees will rise

Mary O’Brien, representing Meridian Waste, addressed the Lunenburg County Board of Supervisors during the Jan. 13 meeting to describe the company’s community activities and planned projects. O’Brien said Meridian distributed its annual community donation to local organizations, including support for the Lunenburg County Youth Baseball League Majors Division II All-Stars and a contribution to the local senior citizens center for roof repairs. She said Meridian partnered with the county on a tire drop-off event, hosted a Fall Festival with 177 attendees in 2022 (scheduled again for Oct. 28, 2023) and expressed appreciation for Meridian’s relationship with the county.

O’Brien told the board the company is working on a landfill gas-to-energy conversion project at the Lunenburg landfill that Meridian expects to complete in 2024; the plan is to capture landfill gas, convert it to energy and ship that energy by truck to customers that can use it.

County Attorney Frank Rennie told the board that Meridian’s fees payable to the county are tied to the Consumer Price Index and said tipping fees for 2023 will increase 7.7 percent, to $2.32 per ton; he also said the Landfill Liaison Fee will rise to nearly $78,000 per year. Rennie said he expects Meridian will request an increase to the allowed daily tonnage limit (the current limit is 1,500 tons per day and Meridian may request 2,000), and that an increase would also raise host fees and community donations.

Administrator Tracy M. Gee told the board Meridian Waste remains interested in purchasing or leasing county-owned property across from the landfill; she said selling could reduce county liability. The board did not take a formal vote on land sale or tonnage at the meeting. The board received the presentation and discussed the changes to fees and potential future requests as informational items.