Windsor Supports Landfill Expansion

by Thadd White - June 18th, 2007 - Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald

WINDSOR - Changes in the regional landfill were endorsed by the Town of Windsor last week.

In the regular meeting of the Windsor Board of Commissioners, the group unanimously gave their support to changes that will be requested by East Carolina Environmental.

According to Mayor Bob Spivey, East Carolina Environmental has asked the towns in Bertie County to give them their endorsement before going to the Bertie County Commissioners.

This is an issue that creates a lot of passion among opponents. Landfills are never popular to the people who live near them. Dust, ugly views and smells are regular problems. Trucks tearing up the roads near the landfill are constant problems. The problems cannot be elminated and even mitigation is often overlooked.

Like all modern societies some process must be found to handle waste. Just like a living human being, a living society, creates waste. It cannot be ignored. It must be dealt with. Because of NIMBY, many local governments refuse to deal with the problem. That creates the opportunity for others to profit from dealing with the problem.

I am glad that our community leaders are tackling this issue intelligently. We can use the money for many things that our community needs. The one caution I can recommend is that our leaders not forget to use some of the money to mitigate the problems a waste facility generates. Sights, smells, dust and torn up roads should not be inflicted on those who live near the landfill any more than is absolutely necessary. Mitigation is deserved.