Pickens County hears request to extend Whitestone Valley Landfill hours; code and host agreement changes needed

Pickens County officials reviewed a proposal from Whitestone Valley Landfill LLC to expand daily operating hours during a June 15 work session.

Bill Wood, director of external operations, told the Board the company — a subsidiary of Matter Management Enterprises — is asking to change permitted hours from 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Wood said the request was first presented at an April work session and that approving the change would require an amendment to the Pickens County Code and an addendum to the site isposal Host Agreement.

The company—ited competitiveness with neighboring landfills as the reason for the requested extension; Wood also noted the current operators differ from the previous ownership and described the company as proactive in communications with County staff. Chairman Kris Stancil said county inspections have shown improvements at the site and that the landfill has been cooperative in addressing past concerns.

County staff did not take a vote on the request at the June 15 meeting. Wood told the Board legal and code changes would be needed before any permit alterations could be granted, and that those amendments would be drafted and presented in a subsequent public agenda if the County pursues them.

The landfill item was discussed alongside an update on code enforcement responsibilities following the resignation of the former Chief Marshal; Wood said ordinance amendments will be presented in July to remove references to the Marshal's Office and reflect the new enforcement structure. The Board was not asked to approve those ordinance changes during the June 15 session.

Next steps identified by staff include drafting the necessary County Code amendments and a Host Agreement addendum and returning to the Board for consideration in a future meeting. The county did not announce a timeline for a final decision during the June 15 work session.