BRUNSWICK COUNTY — After 20 years in service, Brunswick County’s existing transfer station is nearing its operational capacity.
Brunswick County is in the midst of planning a new transfer station, adjacent to its existing station on Landfill Road in Bolivia.
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Commissioners approved entering into a $336,365 contract with Dewberry Engineers Inc., its longtime solid waste consultant, to plan a new transfer station at the county’s regular meeting Monday.
The new station should have limited to no impact on traffic, according to the county’s contract with Dewberry. It will be owned by Brunswick County and operated by Waste Industries.
According to a project timeline, Dewberry will put the project out to bid in June 2020, with construction beginning in March 2021. Most permitting will be umbrellaed under the county’s existing environmental permits at the landfill, requiring minimal amendments to accommodate a new transfer station. If permitting is completed quickly, the county’s construction timeline could be advanced, according to the contract.
Beyond a new transfer station, Brunswick County’s landfill is nearing capacity, with county administration currently considering waste storage alternatives.
Once the landfill closes, the county plans to haul construction and demolition waste to a private landfill in Sampson County, where the county currently delivers municipal solid waste, according to its spokesperson.
In October, Commissioners set aside a $417,355 to fill out the county’s capital reserve fund to a total of $9,934,355. This amount equals the engineer’s estimate of the cost required to close the landfill — a complicated environmentally-sensitive task.
It is not yet clear exactly when the county will begin to close its landfill, but at the least, funds have been saved in the reserve for when the day comes so that it will not necessitate an unfunded or unplanned costly expense.
Update: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the county was planning to build a new landfill. This article has been updated to reflect the county’s position that once its landfill closes it will divert all waste to a private Sampson County landfill.
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