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- Addition of a composting facility to divert biodegradable materials and extend the landfill's life.
- Changes reduce long-term construction costs by about $3 million and increase the landfill lifespan by about four years.
- J.C. Henderson complained about lacking updates; LeAnne Long said she receives regular Solid Waste Authority meeting notices.
- County makes annual transfer from the general fund to repay principal and interest on $10 million taxable bonds from a 2017 lawsuit settlement.
- Board approved updated Solid Waste Management Plan; Covington, Porterdale, Oxford, Newborn and Mansfield approved it, covering waste disposal for next 10 years; vote 4-1.
NEWTON COUNTY — Major modifications to the state Environmental Protection Division permit for the Newton County Landfill were approved by the Board of Commissioners following a public hearing at the commissioners’ June 16 meeting.
The proposed changes to the landfill permit have been under review by the EPD since July 2023. The changes involve increasing the vertical elevation of the lined landfill cell from 775 feet to 821, which will increase the capacity of the cell.
In addition, the footprint of the lined landfill will be reduced from 101.01 acres to 95.3 acres, placing the landfill boundaries further away from the Yellow River. Chad Hall, an engineer with Atlantic Coast Consulting, told commissioners that adjusting the footprint will allow for detention ponds to be expanded to provide more runoff control. Solid Waste Director Matt Dolan said the changes became necessary after the Federal Emergency Management Agency redrew the flood plain maps, which increased the flood plain area at the landfill.
The permit modifications also call for the addition of a composting facility that will divert biodegradable materials from the landfill, which will also help extend the life of the landfill.
The changes will reduce long-term construction costs by about $3 million, and increase the lifespan of the landfill by about four years, according to Hall.
During discussion of the permit modifications, District 4 Commissioner J.C. Henderson complained that he hasn’t been kept updated on landfill operations.
District 5 Commissioner LeAnne Long responded that she receives regular updates on Solid Waste Authority meetings and is invited to each monthly meeting of the authority, “so I don’t know how you don’t know.”
Henderson also said he believes the landfill should be self-supporting.
District 1 Commissioner Stan Edwards, who serves on the Solid Waste Authority, said the landfill actually is self-supporting. The only county contribution to the Solid Waste Authority is to repay a county debt, he said.
The county makes an annual transfer from the general fund to the SWA to pay the principal and interest on $10 million in taxable bonds that were taken out to settle a lawsuit against the county in 2017.
The settlement of that lawsuit, filed against the county by East Georgia Land Company, led to the development of Spring Hill Park on property on Lower River Road that East Georgia Land had earmarked for a private landfill. As part of the settlement of the decades-long lawsuit, the county paid $10 million to East Georgia Land and agreed it would not use the land for a landfill or for any industrial purpose.
Following approval of the modifications to the landfill permit, the Board of Commissioners approved a corresponding update to the Solid Waste Management Plan. The plan has already been approved by the cities of Covington, Porterdale, Oxford, Newborn and Mansfield.
According to Dolan, the plan, which was last updated in 2010, shows that Solid Waste Management has a plan and the necessary infrastructure to collect and dispose of solid waste for the next 10 years.
The updated plan was approved by a vote of 4-1, with Henderson opposed.
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