An informational meeting about a controversial private landfill proposed for a former coal mining site in Russell County will be held in Lebanon on Monday night.
The meeting is being held from 5-7 p.m. by Russell County Reclamation, which wants to locate a landfill on a section of the old Moss No. 3 coal prep plant site in Cleveland. It will take place at the Russell County Government Center, 137 Highland Drive.
The company will provide information about current reclamation efforts and the proposed Russell County Recycling and Disposal Facility and will answer questions, according to John Matney, a partner with RCR.
A regional landfill for municipal or household waste is needed, Matney said. Currently, Russell, Buchanan and Dickenson counties truck their waste to Blountville, Tennessee, he said. In just the first year of operation, the landfill would save the counties hundreds of thousands of dollars in transportation costs, he added.
He said the company has been told by several engineers that the property is perfect for a landfill because it is isolated, has rail access and it has been used as a waste refuse site since 1958.
Matney said the permitting process through the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is stringent and could take two years or five years. He said the company has been working on a host agreement with the county, but no decision will be made until the county holds a public hearing.
The landfill proposal already has drawn opposition from some county residents who have been vocal at recent board of supervisors meetings, formed a group and put up signs opposing the landfill across the county. In November, the group held its own meeting to discuss the project, which they said they fear would result in harmful emissions, odor, smoke, noise, bugs, contaminated water supplies and a decrease in property values.
The group has also said there has been a lack of transparency from county officials.
Brandi Hurley, a member of the group, said Friday she expects hundreds to attend Monday’s meeting.
