By LEE HINNANT

With a federal permit in hand, developers of the planned Riegel Ridge landfill appear to be in the short rows in their effort to obtain the next required permit that could lead to construction.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued its permit outlining protection for wetlands on the site and nearby and allowing developers to fill in a half-acre wetland.

The next major hurdle for the project would be to obtain a “letter of site suitability” from the state’s Division of Solid Waste.

While neither the developers nor the state engineer handling the permit would speculate on a timeline, it is clear that the state is close to a decision. Riegel Ridge first asked for state approval in March 2000.

Geoff Little, a solid waste engineer for the state, said he has requested updated information as part of the site suitability process. The state put the project mostly on hold two years ago, pending a decision by the Corps. Because the project has cleared the Corps, the Division of Waste Management wants items such as a new aerial photograph, Little said. The state also wants updated soil and water level information.
“We’re waiting on their response,” Little said. “Right now, what we’re doing is crossing all the t’s and dotting all the i’s.”

Greg Perverall, a Riegel Ridge partner, said there “was nothing surprising” in the state’s most recent request. Having the project reviewed for five years only validates his company’s position that the landfill won’t harm the environment, he said.

“We’re here for the long haul,” Perverall said.

Little said he knew of no technical reason for the state to deny Riegel Ridge’s request.
Riegel Ridge, a subsidiary of Waste Management of the Carolinas, wants to place a 107-acre landfill on a 764-acre site six miles south of Bolton in the Green Swamp. Proponents – including five of seven county commissioners – expect to save about $1.5 million a year in waste disposal costs.

Opponents – including some environmental groups – say the landfill doesn’t belong in an area with so many wetlands and protected species. They fear the landfill will leak and contaminate streams and drinking water.

The group Friends of the Green Swamp has lost one court battle against the landfill when it challeneged a state water quality permit issued to developers. Leaders of the Friends have vowed to keep fighting the project.