Town of Holly Springs issued the following announcement on Sept. 10.
Wake County officials discussed progress to address landfill odors at the Holly Springs Town Council’s Sept. 6 meeting. Odors from the county landfill near Holly Springs have been a concern for residents, but County officials said numerous recent efforts are showing results in the reduction of odor complaints received.
“We continue to invest in the latest technology and best practices,” said Wake County Solid Waste Director John Roberson.
Those include covering the landfill with dirt and tarps daily. The landfill previously was covered with recycled paint. While the recycled paint covering was cheaper and allowed the county to use 1 million pounds of paint every year, the covering didn’t hold in odors the same way dirt does.
Additionally, the area where trash is delivered daily has been reduced from up to 5 acres to 1-1.5 acres.
“It makes it tighter,” Roberson said, “but it works a lot better for trying to close each day.”
Additional efforts include a misting system and taking less time to repair areas where the landfill’s dirt covering has been eroded.
Implementing better technology for analyzing weather conditions and managing odors, and expanding landfill gas collection and automated wellheads that adjust for odor more frequently also are making a difference.
The county said it also was working with another nearby landfill that also installed a landfill gas collection system.
County officials showed a graph charting the number of landfill odor complaints, which are down from the volumes received in 2020. Officials also highlighted increased efforts to improve communications about the landfill with residents. An updated newsletter and website, wakegov.com/landfill, help residents find the information they need faster.
The roughly 40-member South Wake Landfill Citizens Committee continues meeting regularly with members sharing information with the community. Click here for more information on the committee, which next meets Wednesday, Sept. 28.
Town efforts to engage the county in addressing its landfill odors began in 2018 following increasing concerns from residents. The Town established a landfill mitigation committee, and an ongoing collaborative effort ensued since then.
“Our partnership with the county and the efforts Wake County has made to address landfill odors continue,” said Holly Springs Mayor Sean Mayefskie. “We are thankful for the progress made and look forward to continuing to work with Wake County to stay on top of new technology and best practices for managing odors at the landfill.”
For more information about the landfill or to report an odor, visit the South Wake Landfill website.
Original source can be found here.
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