Elected officials, including New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer oppose Waste Management’s permit to raise the height limit of its landfill located adjacent to a residential neighborhood in Minquadale, New Castle.
The Waste Management DRPI Industrial Waste Landfill, in the shadow of the West Minquadale community and next to small-scale commercial establishments along Route 13, operates under a environmental permit that authorizes it to dump construction debris and other material up to a height of 130 feet. The company has asked state regulators to alter that permit and allow it to increase that height to 190 feet – a nearly 50 percent increase. See Waste Management’s application at http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/dwhs/SHWMB/Pages/SolidWasteFacilities.aspx.
The landfill’s application is currently pending before environmental regulators. A public hearing was held this week.
“A landfill should never have been built in a neighborhood in the first place, and this latest attempt is totally unacceptable,” New Castle County Councilman Jea Street said.
Councilman Street has introduced county legislation, which is supported by the Meyer Administration, that would bar any landfill capped at 140 feet or less in height from seeking increases above that limit. Ordinance 19-046 would also create regulations that require the impact on community health, safety, traffic and the environment be considered when landfill permits are filed.
“This request would allow a Cherry Island-sized mountain of trash, filled mostly with out-of-state waste, to tower over the neighborhood like a 20-story skyscraper. That would forever alter the character of the area and harm the quality of life of residents,” New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer said. “I applaud DNREC for engaging with the public on this important issue for our community and I encourage residents to share their concerns at Wednesday’s hearing.”
