King George administrator wants progress made on landfill issues.

By ROB DAVIS

Date published: 1/27/2004

A thick contract between Waste Management and King George County outlines the minutiae of operations at the King George Landfill.

It spells out what trash can and can't be accepted, how trash is screened, what reports must be filed.

And in its more than 200 pages are several requirements King George has not properly managed, County Administrator Dennis Kerns said.

For example, the contract signed in 1993 calls for five convenience centers to be constructed in the county. Waste Management is required to spend $375,000 to build a public park in the county.

But the park and three of the five trash drop-off sites haven't been built, because the county is first required to provide the land.

The county is to blame, not Waste Management, Kerns said.

It's a "lack of management on our part," Kerns said. "I see no indication where anyone's ever brought it up. So I'm getting proactive."

At least three attempts have been made to develop drop-off sites, said Jason Pauley, the county's director of solid waste and recycling. Each fell through.

The cost of land sunk one, Pauley said, and residents' protests stopped another.

"The previous county administrators haven't wanted to take the issue forward," said Pauley, who's in charge of managing the contract.

Pauley said yesterday that he had not yet spoken to Kerns about the subject.

Kerns plans to brief supervisors on the contract at the board's scheduled meeting tonight. He will also seek approval for a drop-off site in Dahlgren--the first of the three outstanding sites.

Kerns also wants the board to approve hiring an independent contractor to analyze the continuing problem with foul odors emanating from the 630-acre landfill. He said he wants to make sure Waste Management is doing everything it can to alleviate the smell.

The company has increased capacity for collecting gases and odor created by decomposing waste. The most recent improvements came on line in early January.

But some area residents said the smell hasn't gotten any better. "Not at all," said Andrew Wright, who lives within 11/2 miles of the landfill. "I'm just absolutely amazed the odor is what it is."

"It's pretty nauseous," said Christeen Henderson, who also lives nearby.

Said Kerns, "It's time something's done."

Waste Management spokeswoman Lisa Kardell said $150,000 has been approved for an odor-neutralizing system. Construction will begin by spring, she said.

"We're continuing to address odor issues as they come up," Kardell said.

Kerns has other issues with the landfill contract that he plans to address tonight.

The contract calls for a second park to be constructed at the corner of State Route 205 and the entrance to the county's old landfill. Its development should have begun years ago, according to the contract, but planning has not started.

A misunderstanding is to blame for the delay, Pauley said.

He said the county initially thought the park was supposed to be built upon the completion of the exhumation of the old landfill's trash. That's expected to be happening sometime this year.

But the contract actually gives Waste Management the responsibility for building the park once all permits to operate the landfill were received.

Kerns also wants to see Waste Management better monitor and prevent out-of-county residents from dumping, and to improve cleaning efforts along State Route 665. Residents, too, want to see cleanup improve, particularly along State Route 3.

"It's an eyesore," Andrew Wright said. "It's really horrible the amount of trash that's all over the place."

To reach ROB DAVIS: 540/374-5418 rdavis@freelancestar.com

Date published: 1/27/2004