By Randy Arrington
LURAY — Earlier today an online news site reported that Rappahannock County supervisors unanimously voted Monday night to approve a 10-year deal with Page County to dump trash at the Battle Creek Landfill.
BlueRidgeIndependent.com reported that, “Page will charge [Rappahannock] county $34 a ton and will haul it across the mountain and through Shenandoah National Park to Battle Creek, located in western Page County… Page will buy a new tractor to haul the trash…”
The decade-long deal — at $34 per ton — will save Rappahannock County taxpayers about $200,000 annually, according to the news site. They were paying their previous hauler $56 per ton.
“I had discussions with [Battle Creek Solid Waste Operations Manager Jeff] Blevins when I visited the landfill,” Hampton District Supervisor Keir Whitson said, according to the website, during the meeting and reiterated during a telephone call Tuesday morning. “He assured me if [things went south with] Updike, they’d fill in until we got the new system up and running.”
Efforts by PageValleyNews.com to reach Blevins on Tuesday afternoon were unsuccessful.
Rappahannock ends a longterm relationship with Updike Industries, who previously transported the county’s trash to a transfer station in Culpeper. It is expected to take about 10 weeks to make the transition, according to BlueRidgeIndependent.com The county still needs to order and replace two compactor units at the Flatwood and Amissville recycling centers.
Rappahannock produces 11 tons of waste per day, according to the online report.
BlueRidgeIndependent.com also reports that: “Page landfill officials will also assist the county in redesigning both refuse centers making logistics easier for them and county residents dropping off their refuse.”
For the original story, go to https://blueridgeindependent.com/rapp-trash-heading-west-p1771-105.htm
Not charging them enough.