Board takes over waste siting

Of the top four potential sites for a new waste transfer station the first two are in Hillsborough's economic development district number three is adjacent to a mobile home park and number four has been home to a landfill for 36 years.

Orange County Commissioners say something went wrong.

Now the board members are taking the siting process into their own hands" voting Tuesday to apply criteria immediately that would take into account factors such as environmental justice and a site's proximity to schools and parks.

""This process is our process"" Commissioner Moses Carey Jr. said at the outset of the meeting. It's not the contractor's process. We know what we want to happen tonight — and that's what we should do.""

After the motion Tuesday" the board rather than Olver Inc. will decide which three or four of the ten possible sites will remain options.

Olver previously planned to evaluate a site's social effect on a community after the commissioners removed a number of sites from the list of ten based on technical criteria which includes proximity to roads and environmental factors.

The board hired Olver in November to conduct a search for a waste transfer station site to replace the Orange County landfill which is expected to reach capacity in 2011.

More than 200 residents enough to violate the room's fire code packed the meeting to protest the current ranking of potential sites.

Neloa Jones — who has advocated for the elimination of the Eubanks site — was interrupted by applause when she asked the commissioners to strike Eubanks Road from the list without further delay.

The board did not move to do so despite Jones' request further public comment and signs at the back of the room that read" ""Take Eubanks Road off the list!""

Residents who live close to other potential sites on the list also are concerned about the effects of a transfer station near their homes.

Judi Loberg owns an event space for retreats" weddings and therapy on property adjacent to the third-ranked site" which is located on N.C. 54.

She said a waste transfer station's noise and smell would put her out of business.

Residents across the street of Crawford's Mobile Home Park said the added traffic of a transfer station would be reason enough to relocate.

""I'd move"" said Doris Tackett, who has lived at Crawford's for 10 years and has built a wooden porch around her mobile home. That'd be a mess out there.""

Hillsborough Mayor Pro Tem Michael Gering cited concerns about the top two sites' locations in the town's economic development districts.

Commissioners said there was a substantial misunderstanding between Olver and the board.

Chairman Barry Jacobs said he was confident that community-specific criteria would reorder the current ranking of potential sites.

""Some that previously" for instance had been number four might become number 10 just for example he said.

Olver President Bob Sallach said Olver used a combination of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommendations and past experience to develop their siting process for the waste transfer station.

 Obviously they were looking for something different than what we've done" he said. It's just a question of not in my backyard.""



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