A feasibility study does not rule out a former coal mine site proposed for a private landfill in the Carbo area of Russell County, but it identifies several issues that need further evaluation to determine if the site is adequate.
Most of the concerns stem from the land’s history as a coal prep plant, and center on the coal waste that remains and the site’s stability.
The proposed project has created an uproar in the county, with many residents speaking out against it. Earlier this week, the United Mine Workers of America even weighed in against the landfill.
The study was conducted in 2022 for county officials by Potesta Engineers and Environmental Consultants, headquartered in West Virginia. The report was obtained by Cardinal News through a Virginia Freedom of Information Act request.
Landfill public hearing
A public hearing about the proposed landfill in Russell County will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday at the county government center, 139 Highland Drive in Lebanon.
“In summary, at this point, POTESTA has not identified issues that make this site ‘unpermittable’ for use as a landfill; rather the … items will require evaluation and proper technical design to address the various issues to VDEQ’s [Virginia Department of Environmental Quality] satisfaction,” Potesta states in a Dec. 16, 2022, letter to County Administrator Lonzo Lester.
Russell County Reclamation partner John Matney wants to open a landfill on the site of the former Moss No. 3 coal prep plant. The company has about 1,200 acres there and has been working for years to clean up and reclaim the site, which includes an industrial park for the county.
The plan is to develop the landfill in a bowl-shaped depression on an existing coal refuse disposal area in the middle of the site, according to the report. The area is between two coal refuse dams.
Among the questions raised in the report are whether the site can support a landfill, and whether the surrounding slopes are stable enough, and not too steep, to allow for construction. Both issues need to be evaluated, the report said.
It also said that the developers would need to create a plan to deal with wastewater, either to treat it on site or remove it for treatment elsewhere. And it said that engineering design and planning must be coordinated with the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration because the two dams likely fall under its authority and may also be under other regulatory programs.
Matney said Russell County Reclamation continues to clean up the coal waste on the site. Some of it is gob pile waste that is blended for a renewable product that is burned for fuel. One of the company’s customers is Dominion Energy’s Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center in St. Paul, he said.
Eventually, the dams mentioned in the report will be removed, one at a time, he added.
Matney said his takeaway from the Potesta report is that a lot more engineering and study needs to be done. That will come as the company gets deeper into the process, he said.
“But there are no guarantees that the site will be permittable at the end of the day,” he said.
The company says the site is ideal for a landfill because it is remote and isolated, has rail service and lots of available water, and has already served as a waste site for coal.
The landfill would accept municipal, household waste, not hazardous waste, Russell County Reclamation officials have said. With a local landfill, Russell, Dickenson and Buchanan counties would save a total of about $600,000 per year because they would no longer have to truck their waste to Blountville, Tennessee, Matney said.
But the landfill has been a controversial topic in the county for months, with some residents saying they worry it would result in a stench, pointing to the odor problems Bristol has experienced with its landfill. They also worry that it would negatively impact nearby water, harm the health of residents and result in pollution, noise and traffic.
An informational meeting about plans for the landfill held by Matney on Jan. 29 drew about 300 people. Of the dozens who spoke, not one voiced support for the project.
This week, the United Mine Workers of America jumped into the debate when international president Cecil Roberts said that the site proposed for the landfill was the location of a pivotal demonstration during the 1989-90 Pittston Coal strike, and that using it for a landfill would be disrespectful to the UMWA’s legacy and an “outright travesty” against the community.
“The Moss 3 Preparation Plant witnessed a four-day takeover by UMWA members during the strike, a bold move that galvanized the labor movement across the country,” he said in a news release issued Tuesday. “Local community members formed a human shield around the plant, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the cause and embodying the spirit of solidarity.”
Roberts added that the union is “adamantly opposed” to the proposed project.
Brandi Hurley, a local attorney and a vocal opponent of the landfill, said the site is historic because of its connection to the strike, although there’s no marker there. She said there’s now some talk of trying to change that.
In a second news release issued Wednesday, the UMWA urged residents to turn out for a public hearing on the proposed landfill being held by the county’s board of supervisors from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday at the county government center in Lebanon.
Hurley said several members of the UMWA are likely to attend the hearing, which is expected to draw a large crowd.
Matney said Friday he was surprised by the UMWA’s stance.
“I would think they would be very positive about cleaning up the environment … and creating jobs,” he said Thursday.
Lester, the county administrator, and the board of supervisors have not taken an official position on the project. The board must approve a host agreement for it to move forward. The public hearing set for Friday night had to be held before that vote could take place.
Some residents have criticized county leaders for not being transparent about the project, and some have recently reported difficulty getting responses to FOIA requests related to the landfill project or obtaining agenda packets ahead of meetings of the board of supervisors.
A citizens group that opposes the landfill has had several meetings, and members have placed signs protesting the project across the county.
Meanwhile, Russell County Reclamation has taken the first steps toward seeking state approval for a solid waste permit. On Feb. 14, the Department of Environmental Quality received a notice of intent on behalf of landowner Nova Co. that it intends to submit a solid waste permit application to establish a privately owned and operated solid waste management facility in Russell County. The state has dubbed the project the Carbo Landfill.
Nova is a stock corporation based in Bristol, and Matney is the president/secretary, according to the State Corporation Commission website. Matney said he has owned the company since the mid-1970s, and it will be the permittee for the waste permit application.
On Feb. 22, however, the DEQ informed the company that the letter of intent was reviewed and found to be “administratively incomplete.” In addition to the cover letter, area map and site location map provided, the company must submit disclosure statements, a local government certification, public participation documentation, a disposal capacity guarantee, a demonstration of need, SCC certification and a host agreement, which has not been approved.
The permit process is done in three steps. Matney earlier has said that it is a stringent and lengthy process that will take two to five years to complete.