CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Virginia's Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources will host a meeting Wednesday at the Patrick Henry Building to discuss the Shoosmith Landfill in Chesterfield with various stakeholders.
The private landfill is bankrupt, and the bankruptcy trustee has called it a potential "environmental catastrophe."
The landfill generates approximately 65,000 gallons of leachate daily.
"What is this leachate? It's literally the liquid that results from the decomposition process and what is in it is going to depend on what has been dumped in the landfill over a number of years," Jamie Brunkow with the James River Association said.
That liquid must be constantly collected and hauled to a treatment facility so it doesn't leak into nearby creeks, which could ultimately lead to the Chesapeake Bay.
According to a February notice of violation from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, dark liquid with the appearance of leachate was observed discharging from the landfill in December into a conveyance leading to Swift Creek and Piney Branch, along with outfalls of suspended solids, ammonia, and zinc that exceeded legal limits.
The meeting Wednesday will include Secretary David Bulova, representatives from DEQ and the EPA, Chesterfield County, and the bankruptcy trustee. The draft agenda includes how the current situation evolved, protecting public health, and how the General Assembly's current budget language fits into potential work at the landfill.
Legislators allocated $10.6 million to assist with the ongoing environmental issues at Shoosmith, but an engineering group engaged by the trustee estimated closure, corrective actions, and post-closure care would cost more than $172 million over 30 years. The available bond funds — a little over $19 million — are woefully inadequate, according to the trustee.
Bob Olsen, a Chesterfield resident and member of the Chesterfield Citizens for Responsible Government, worried taxpayers could be left footing the bill.
"Who's going to pay for it?" Olsen said.
Members of the citizens group penned a letter to the county's Board of Supervisors after recently meeting with the bankruptcy trustee, demanding the county hold a public briefing on the status of the Shoosmith Landfill. We've asked the county if they have any plans to do so and are waiting to hear back.
The state will allow members of the citizens group to attend the meeting Wednesday. CBS 6 has asked to attend and are waiting to hear back.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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