Large dump is proposed in New Kent
191-acre landfill would get 3,000 tons of trash a day, some from out of state
BY MELODIE N. MARTIN
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Friday, May 6, 2005

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Jay Smith
spokesperson for Schiminoe Meadows

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A proposed 191-acre dump off Interstate 64 in New Kent County is expected to receive about 6 million pounds of trash a day, including some from outside the state.

A new landfill hasn't been created in the Richmond region for 15 years. The proposed dump near Talleysville would be about 7 miles from the Henrico County line. An application to rezone 279 acres of land for the site was filed yesterday in New Kent.

The developer says the landfill would accept trash from Virginia, Washington, Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. About 100 trucks, most using Interstate 64, would visit the site daily, according to estimates.

Some neighboring residents wonder how the dump would affect their property values and the county's image.

"I can't imagine wanting to watch the horse race [at Colonial Downs] and smell the garbage dump less than 2 miles or so away," said New Kent resident Melvin Belcher, who lives in a new home near the site.

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But the developer of the site, SPF Investments LLC of Richmond, disagrees. The developer says the $40 million project would preserve the area's rural character and provide economic benefits without putting a strain on county services and infrastructure.

The project, named Schiminoe Meadows, would be located on a vacant 679-acre site southeast of I-64 and state Route 106. Only 191 acres would be actively used as a landfill.

The site is less than 2 miles from a planned upscale residential development. The Farms of New Kent would feature vineyards, a winery, golf course, polo ground and 2,400 age-restricted and traditional homes. The Farms will be considered during a public hearing within the next month.

Jay Smith, a spokesman for the project, said the dump would provide an average of $4.5 million in annual payments to the county during the landfill's 20-year life.

"We really are looking at this as a long-term thing," Smith said. He added that the developer would monitor the dump for 30 years after it eventually closed and restore a natural setting for outdoor recreation.

Plans also include facilities for recycling, tire chipping and converting landfill gas into electric and thermal energy. It would have 35 on-site employees.

The developer is offering to share revenue with the county from the energy generating and recycling operations and to dispose of local residents' garbage for free. The county pays $508,000 a year to dispose of its residents' garbage.

The developer is also offering $45,000 annually for a county compliance officer to monitor the site and $25,000 a year for environmental scholarships.

The facility would not accept hazardous materials, including medical waste, or sludge, Smith said. In addition to collecting gases for producing electricity, measures to reduce odors would include covering garbage daily with 6 inches of topsoil and misting it with an odor-neutralizing chemical.

A landfill in neighboring Charles City County opened in 1990 amid heated debate about the state's importation of out-of-state waste. About 2,000 tons, or 4 million pounds, of garbage is trucked to the site daily, some of it from outside the state, according to the Charles City landfill's operator.


Contact Melodie N. Martin at (804) 649-6290 or mmartin@timesdispatch.com

This story can be found at: http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031782558402&path=%21news&s=1045855934842

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