North Carolina County Board to Consider Environmental Justice Impacts of Continuing Landfill Operations Near Underserved Community

Last week, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners reviewed options to extend the lifespan of the Ann Street Landfill in Fayetteville. They also evaluated a Landfill Environmental Justice Draft Public Participation Plan prepared for the landfill. Community advocates want to ensure local area residents’ voices are being heard about the matter because lack of waste disposal services can be an example of environmental injustice.

Amanda Bader, Cumberland County’s Environmental Resources general manager, presented the agenda memo to the board in early December 2022 and that said the county is seriously considering its different options for solid waste disposal at the Ann Street Landfill. She also told the board that the landfill has no more than 8 functional years remaining as solid waste disposal facility. Bader proposed that the county transfer all of the solid waste from Ann Street Landfill to a different landfill outside of the county. However, she also suggested that the county increase the capacity of the Ann Street Landfill for future use. Doing so would require the preparation of an environmental justice report. This environmental justice report actually identifies that the area that surrounds the Ann Street Landfill is an underserved community. And according to the memo Bader gave to the board, it is necessary for an enhanced engagement to be utilized for its public participation plan.

The Cumberland County staff presented the draft strictly for information purposes and to gather some suggestions from the commissioners before they submitted the proposal to the State Department of Environmental Quality.