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Planning Commission recommends approval for expansion of biosolids storage facility with DEQ oversight and conditions
Summary
The commission recommended approval of a renewal and expansion of a routine biosolids storage facility (4 L Corporation) to double covered capacity and align the county permit with DEQ’s 10‑year cycle, with conditions including setbacks, hours and dark‑sky lighting.
The Goochland County Planning Commission on June 18 recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve a renewal and expansion of a routine biosolids storage conditional‑use permit submitted by 4 L Corporation (application CU20267) for a facility at 2801 Chapel Hill Road.
Planning staff explained that biosolids (treated sewage sludge used as fertilizer) and routine storage are regulated by both county code and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The applicant sought to expand the covered storage area from an existing 100‑by‑100‑foot covered hoop structure to a 200‑by‑100‑foot covered area, effectively doubling storage capacity, and requested a 10‑year county permit to align with the DEQ permit cycle. Staff said the material stored at the facility comes from Richmond and Blue Plains and the facility is operated by the contractor NutriBlend; the property owner retains ownership of the storage structure.
Staff recommended carrying forward several conditions, including a 200‑foot setback from the nearest stream or wetland (carried from the prior permit), dark‑sky‑compliant lighting to avoid nighttime impacts, hours for vehicle transport (Monday–Saturday, 4 a.m. to 6 p.m.), and a 10‑year expiration as requested by the applicant. Commissioners asked whether dark‑sky rules already applied to agricultural uses; staff and counsel said the county code does not automatically make that standard universal, so the lighting condition was proposed as an additional requirement. Fire/rescue staff indicated they had no known response limitations for the site.
Applicant Owen Lanier, president of 4 L Corporation, said DEQ inspects the site at least monthly and that the covered expansion would help keep material under cover during extended wet periods; he said the expansion should not necessarily double truck traffic because material inflow and outflow vary with weather and field application schedules. Lanier also said there had been no DEQ odor complaints at the facility, and DEQ requires an odor‑management plan and a 48‑hour response for odor issues as part of its permitting process.
A motion to recommend approval with the proposed conditions passed on a 5‑0 roll call vote. The case is tentatively scheduled for Board of Supervisors consideration on Aug. 4, 2026.
Next steps: the Board of Supervisors will review the planning commission’s recommendation and the applicant’s DEQ permit records. County staff noted that odor and field application practices remain under DEQ authority.
