Resources/FAQs

/
Resources/FAQs

Resources

As the City works with state and federal regulators on remediation efforts at the quarry landfill, citizens and stakeholders who want to track the progress can now access those resources here.

The City is monitoring groundwater, surface water, and methane gas emissions through a number of channels including thermocouples (which will be installed by the end of the 2022 calendar year) and groundwater and gas monitoring wells. It is the City’s intention to provide the latest relevant information to both regulatory agencies and our citizen stakeholders in an effort to ensure transparency and accountability.

Ask the Experts

Click here to read answers from Craig H. Benson, PHD, PE, DGE, BCEE, NAE and Robert B. Gardner, PE, BCEE.

Recent Photos from the Landfill

Click to view the photo slideshow from the February 21, 2023 open house.

Quarry Landfill Capping Progress

Learn more about the quarry landfill capping progress here.

Expert Panel Report

Please read the latest Expert Panel Report here.

SWP 588 Monthly Compliance Reports

SWP 221 Monthly Compliance Reports

SWP 498 Monthly Compliance Reports

Sidewall Odor Mitigation System

Sidewall Odor Mitigation System as designed by SCS Engineers. This system plans to address the odors from the quarry landfill currently escaping the perimeter walls of the landfill. Phase One of the project includes 222 feet of work to test the effectiveness of the project’s design. Phase Two of the sidewall work involves the remaining 4,700 linear feet of sidewall.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the city’s plan to reopen the landfill?
A: No. The City does not plan to reopen the landfill.

We are solely focused on fixing the odor issues and are working diligently on the remediation efforts identified by the expert panel report, including expansion of the gas well system, installation of a sidewall odor mitigation system, work on the leachate collection system, and installation of thermocouples.

Q: Where is the money to completely close the landfill to come from?
A: Currently, the City is using some of its own funds and federal funds to remediate the landfill. The Virginia General Assembly has provided $2 million, which will be provided via the Department of Environmental Quality to remediate the landfill.

The City is working with state and federal legislators to secure additional funding options. We will keep residents apprised of how and when additional funds are obtained.

Q: The temperature probes are supposedly able to generate real time data. Will this data be available for the public to view? Can leachate trends and temperatures be posted online?
A: The City will be able to ascertain temperature at various points in the landfill once the temperature probes are installed and commissioned. The City anticipates periodically sharing that data relating to temperature and leachate in report form starting in January, 2023.

Q: Recently SCS has begun using slides in their meetings with the city and DEQ. Those slides are not included in FOIA requests for information. The public has a right to know the details of these meetings. Can these slides be forwarded to DEQ going forward so that they can include them in our FOIA requests?
A: The City does not control the FOIA responses made by DEQ. However, because the City is aware that the public wants to follow progress on the landfill, the City will continue to post updates on SCS’s work and other activities on the landfill on this site and the City’s landfill page.

Q: Was the city advised by legal counsel NOT to provide direct relief (purifiers, etc.) to the citizens of the city? If so, why? After the findings of the expert panel? After the injunction issued in federal court?
A: The City does not comment on current litigation issues or the legal advice we receive.

Q: In the current drilling effort to install thermocouples, how is the drilled-out waste collected and disposed and is it being tested for toxins or hazardous materials?
A: The City is testing matter samples extracted during the drilling process to determine its composition and organic compounds and to further improve the engineering team’s understanding of what is occurring within the site. The City is working with a third-party laboratory that has expertise in this area.

Q: Have new recycling options opened with the changes?
A: No; recycling is not tied to the quarry landfill and has not changed as a result of the work on the landfill.

Mailing List

You can also sign up to join our mailing list below to ensure you receive the latest news and updates on progress being made at the quarry landfill.