A report will be presented tonight to the Orange County Board of Commissioners recommending improvements to local waste centers. But a solution to the solid waste problem is still nowhere in sight.
The solid waste management work group will present a follow-up report on the board’s December 2009 decision to divert solid waste to the Durham Transfer Station for the next three to five years as the county landfill reaches capacity.
The plan would be an intermediate solution and exclude the Rogers, Millhouse and Eubanks roads communities from any future solid waste facilities.
The communities compose a historically black and low-income area that has been home to the landfill for the last 38 years.
Commissioner Barry Jacobs, who initially proposed the motion, said the fate of solid waste will be a priority at the meeting.
“Solid waste needs resolution,” Jacobs said. “That’s the most pressing issue in that respect.”
The report recommends improving the five existing waste convenience centers by the end of the 2013-2014 fiscal year through extending hours, expanding recycling opportunities and adding a sixth site.
“The work group is (looking into) how to modernize and make them more efficient,” said Solid Waste Management Director Gayle Wilson.
The county landfill is expected to fill in 2013, and commissioners have yet to look at alternatives.
