Dive Brief:

• The 101-acre Potomac Landfill in Dumfries, VA has proposed to increase its height from 220 feet to 250 feet over the next 20 years, before it is expected to close. This proposal opposes the Virginia DEQ, which has ordered that the construction and debris landfill be reduced to a maximum of 195 feet tall.
• Potomac Landfill President Philip C. Peet said in exchange for the increase, he would pay Dumfries up to $3 million over the 20 years, making this landfill the only construction and debris landfill in the state to pay a host fee. The fees, about $2 per metric ton when the program is fully implemented in 2019, is expected to net $150,000 per year for the town. 
• Reclaiming the land for future use was discussed at recent public meetings. Peet said land at the entrance could be developed into retail shops or a sports and recreation center; baseball diamonds, tennis courts or soccer fields could be built in a park on top of the mound; and apartments could be built on land owned by the landfill.

Dive Insight:

This height proposal is different from one that failed in 2012, which offered to close the landfill 15 years early.

Residents at the public meeting had few reservations about the plan, Potomac Local reported, but they did raise concerns about sulfur odors and truck noise, which is very common for residential feedback of landfill expansions.

The plan has an interesting vision for the town, which could benefit from the host fees. If the state DEQ is willing to consider it, the growing landfill could aid Dumfries in its economic future. 

The Potomac Landfill — which separates wood, concrete, dirt, metals, and cardboard which then gets sold to firms that will recycle it — will be the largest landfill of its kind after a similar landfill in Lorton, VA closes.