Mega-Landfill Legislation, NC

Legislative Watch: Landfill Bills Advance, and Hugo Neu Hits the Road

Since last year's General Assembly adopted a temporary moratorium on the permitting of new mega-landfills, the watch has been on. What would the legislature do this year with this issue over the longer term, and how would the companies proposing to site huge new dumps in our state react?

This past week, the first of those hanging footpieces fell. The Hugo Neu corporation announced that it was pulling out of plans to site a regional "auto fluff" landfill near the small town of Navassa in Brunswick County. The corporation's decision followed forward progress of two bills in N.C. House committees last week. Both bills (sponsored by Rep. Bonner Stiller, R-Brunswick) would have the effect of giving control of the proposed landfill site back to the county, which opposes the landfill. Hugo Neu felt the cold breeze blowing and bowed out of the fight.

In the longer run, important legislation to provide a more systematic regulatory framework for dealing with such issues has been prepared and introduced. CCNC lobbyist Mike Nelson says that, during the past months of "moratorium" time, "The state worked diligently and new recommendations recently came out of the Division on Solid Waste. The 'Solid Waste Management Act of 2007' (SB1492/HB1233) will put these recommendations into effect, and we encourage [legislators] to support this legislation. Passage will give the state the additional tools to manage solid waste as our state grows."

The "Solid Waste Management Act of 2007" would clarify the grounds for denying an application for a solid waste management permit; increase penalties on solid waste law violations; clarify that parent/affiliate companies are financially responsible for violations by their subsidiaries; require environmental impact and traffic studies by all applicants; provide for state-level review of proposed multi-jurisdictional facilities; and establish a disposal fee and a transfer fee to cover costs of remediation.