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Council approves settlement tied to proposed Rustburg landfill expansion; seeks regional sign‑offs
Summary
Lynchburg City Council voted 6–1 to approve a proposed settlement with Campbell County and other Region 2000 members that would enable Campbell to pursue expansion of the Rustburg landfill while protecting Lynchburg from certain post‑closure liabilities and securing pro‑rata distributions of contested excess revenues.
Deputy City Manager Greg Patrick told council that Region 2000 members had negotiated a settlement intended to resolve years of litigation over distribution of excess revenue from the Rustburg landfill and to permit a planned expansion that would provide roughly 25 years of additional regional capacity. Patrick said the city expects to receive about $1.5 million in excess revenue that had been in dispute and that Campbell County would receive roughly $6 million under earlier accounting; the settlement places contested funds in the closure/post‑closure reserve, reducing Lynchburg's long‑term liability.
Patrick described options if the settlement fails — including building a local transfer station or partnering with a commercial operator — and said the expansion schedule is time‑sensitive because the Rustburg landfill cell is projected to approach capacity in 2028–2029 without expansion. The settlement includes Campbell commitments on timeline and tipping fees, a one‑time $250,000 payment to some member jurisdictions, and a pledge that Lynchburg funds would not be used to pay Campbell a host fee.
Council members who supported the measure called it a regional solution that preserves lower tipping fees for Lynchburg residents and removes closure liabilities from the city's balance sheet; one dissenting council member voted no. The motion to approve the settlement passed 6–1.
Next steps: all member jurisdictions must approve the settlement (Campbell, Nelson, Appomattox) by a near‑term deadline cited in the settlement offer; if all parties agree, Campbell will proceed quickly to rezoning and special‑use permitting for the expansion.
Speakers quoted: Deputy City Manager Greg Patrick; several council members.
