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Madison County committee to pursue landfill feasibility after King George and DEQ review
Summary
The Madison County Economic Development Committee directed staff to pursue feasibility work on reopening a county landfill after staff reported findings from conversations with King George County and the Virginia DEQ, including operational, permitting and leachate‑management questions that must be resolved.
The Madison County Economic Development Committee on May 12 directed staff to pursue further analysis of reopening a county landfill after County Administrator Jonathon Weakley reported on recent outreach to King George County officials and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
“According to King George’s solid waste management plan and the 2023 DEQ annual report, their landfill at its existing capacity has a remaining life that will term out in 2043,” Weakley told the committee, citing the county’s records and his interviews with King George officials.
Why it matters: committee members said a local landfill could generate revenue but would require clear information about siting, compliance and operating costs before any decision. Weakley’s written memo notes King George uses Waste Management to operate its facility, which sits on a roughly 600‑acre parcel with an approximately 349‑acre landfill and recycling facility and an estimated capacity of 67 million cubic yards. King George’s FY2023 report lists about $4.6 million in landfill revenues for that year.
The committee discussed leachate management and potential mitigation strategies. Weakley said King George uses onsite evaporators that reduce leachate by roughly 95%–97%, with remaining leachate returned to the cell; the evaporation approach has an upfront cost but can reduce recurring hauling and treatment expenses.
The county’s next steps, as recorded in committee action items, include scheduling a meeting with the King George landfill operations manager to gather operational cost and compliance‑burden details, preparing specific follow‑up questions for DEQ’s permitting team (Weakley referenced Virginia administrative siting standards beginning at 9VAC20‑81‑120), and, should the research suggest feasibility, commissioning a detailed study that could include an environmental engineer.
Chairman Jim Jewett said the committee needs “definitive information” on costs and regulatory requirements before advancing the project and asked staff to return with findings for further consideration.
What’s next: staff will meet with King George and DEQ contacts, assemble cost and permitting data for the committee, and, if warranted, draft a formal feasibility scope for Board of Supervisors review.
