Copyright Chicago Tribune Co. Apr 8, 2004

Waste Management has cleared its final governmental hurdle to open a trash-barge port that will receive out-of-state trash barged to the James River shore in Charles City County.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality approved a permit for the port last week, with several stipulations:

* No more than 600 loaded containers can be stored at the port.

* Any leaks from the containers could result in fines and revocation of the permit.

* Waste Management must secure two $1 million bonds to cover the cost of cleaning up any spills.

The state permit was a "permit by rule," meaning it was automatically approved after Waste Management provided details on the trash-barge operations.

A Waste Management spokeswoman said Wednesday the company has no time frame for starting barge operations. The company must first build the trash containers and finalize contracts for shipping the trash to Virginia and trucking it from the port to the Charles City County landfill.

Previous legislative attempts to ban out-of-state trash have failed. But an environmental group called the James River Association is suing the state, saying the trash container regulations and fees are inadequate.