Cumberland County plans extensive outreach to neighbors of the Ann Street Landfill as it moves forward with plans to expand its capacity.
The Board of Commissioners on Tuesday received an update on plans to solicit input from neighboring residents as part of an environmental justice review.
The Ann Street Landfill, which opened in 1980, will reach maximum capacity by 2030, according to county officials.
The environmental justice review is mandated by the state.
According to the county’s solid waste management department, the facility is in an industrial area but is close to a few residential neighborhoods. Because the area is considered underserved, more public outreach and education is mandated.
The environmental justice review was submitted to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality last Friday.
The review calls for a three-month strategy to be launched in January to get feedback on the new design for the landfill. Residents who live within a mile of the landfill will be included in the outreach program.
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Officials want to inform the public about why the landfill expansion is needed and what the potential impacts could be, as well as answer questions and listen to concerns of people who live in the area.
According to Sabrina Colon, who leads public involvement efforts for the project, the county will reach out to not only residents but neighborhood churches, community-based organizations and advocacy groups.
Commissioner Jimmy Keefe said he appreciates the thoroughness of the outreach and asked about the timeline since the target audience for focus groups is extensive.
“There is a sense of urgency for us, on this landfill,” Keefe said. “I am concerned are we only telling one side of the story about the need for this facility. There doesn’t seem to be anything on what would happen if we didn’t have this.”
Colon said a lot of public education on the need for upgrading the facility is important. She said the long-term operations will be on existing county property.
When Keefe asked about possible health-related concerns, Colon said the county is already taking steps to make it a healthier facility. She said the county is also ready to address the possible increased activity at the landfill.
Commissioner Glenn Adams said that soliciting input from surrounding neighborhoods and residents is important.
“We know the history. This is a step in the right direction. Many communities are not doing this,” said Adams.
Adams said he agrees with Keefe that the facility is necessary and that that story must be told.
Colon said the county is taking an extra step in the study that goes beyond what federal and state regulations require.
Jeff Murray, project manager with HDR Inc., the engineering firm contracted to implement the plan, said the impact on the surrounding area would be minimal, possibly including a slight increase in traffic near the facility.
In other business, the board committed $37,500 to apply for a state Building Resilient Infrastructure Communities (BRIC) Grant. The grant will fund an evaluation of the Wilkes Road landfill, which holds the county’s vegetative waste, and develop a 20-year comprehensive vegetative waste management plan.
Gene Booth, the county’s emergency services director, said the project will address how to increase production and optimize capacity during disasters, which is critical to the recovery process.
“Vegetation is one of our biggest volumes of disaster debris in the county,” said Booth.
The estimated cost of the project is $150,000. Booth said the county will seek $112,500, or 75% of the cost, from the federal government along with $7,500 in management costs.
The project is a collaboration between the county’s solid waste and emergency services departments. The state grant would come from the N.C. Emergency Management and Hazard Mitigation Section. The Federal Emergency Management Agency would fund 75% of the project.
The board voted unanimously to approve funding for the grant application.
Booth also updated the board on the transfer to the new 911 emergency center. He said the staff started moving into the new facility on Dec. 5 and took its first call on Dec. 14.
He said he hopes the vacated center will become a backup facility for emergency services.
The board also went into closed session to discuss personnel matters and property acquisition. After 45 minutes, the commissioners came out of closed session and took no action taken.
