Hanover officials approve controversial landfill expansion project

HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The Hanover County Board of Supervisors voted 4-3 to approve the Ashcake Road Landfill Expansion project Wednesday night, which will convert a portion of an existing borrow pit into a construction debris landfill.

The proposal drew passionate responses, with dozens of residents crowding into the Hanover County Board of Supervisors meeting room to voice their opinions.

"I'm very concerned about our natural resources that would be affected, like your well water, just overall pollution,” said Troy Collison, a neighbor who lives near the proposed site.

It's located near the Ashcake and Johnson Town roads, and sits adjacent to the historically Black rural community of Brown Grove.

“Imagine if this landfill was close to white neighborhood, this landfill never would've existed in these communities," another resident in opposition said.

The proposed expansion, backed by Ashcake Road Landfill Inc. and the site's parent company Leadbetter Inc., will allow roughly 30 acres of currently borrow pit land to be used for construction waste disposal.

Supporters of the project, including construction and landfill workers, stressed the need for more debris disposal capacity amid growing development in the area.

“A lot more construction projects are coming our way, and this material needs to go somewhere,” said a resident in favor of the proposal.

However, the majority of attendees expressed strong opposition. Others raised concerns about potential impacts on groundwater contamination, visibility, noise and traffic.

A representative for the landfill pushed back against environmental concerns, citing ongoing monitoring by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

“There has absolutely been none, no contamination or a violation of the DEQ standards has been shown in the monitoring wells and stormwater outfalls,” the spokesperson said.

Andrew Pompeii, speaking on behalf of the landfill, noted the project’s alignment with the county’s general land use plan, which designates the area for rural and agricultural purposes.

He added that visual and noise buffers are part of the plan. The site would also limit hours of operation to weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., with noise studies promised within 60 days of opening.

Opponents, however, pointed to what they called "a broken promise." In 2017, a Leadbetter Inc. representative publicly stated the borrow pit would only be used for excavation, not as landfill space.

This is the second time the landfill expansion has been brought before the Board of Supervisors. A similar request in 2022 was denied.

The revised proposal, according to company representative, is “less of an impact" than before. The company claims the area will remain compliant with all DEQ standards and is already subject to groundwater monitoring requirements. Details can be found here.