By Elizabeth Friend
Community Government Reporter

As the Board of Commissioners met to discuss their options for dealing with the county’s trash, Vice-chair Mike Nelson expressed frustration with the process that has dragged on for more than two years.

At Tuesday’s meeting the board considered four possible actions: pursue a large parcel of land on N.C. 54, wait to hear from Chapel Hill officials regarding town-owned land on Millhouse road, use 10 acres of near-by county-owned land, or hash out a deal to haul waste to Durham.

The 10–acre county-owned location on Millhouse Road is a late entry into the waste transfer station debate. County staff brought it up after the commissioners voted last spring to ask the town of Chapel Hill to consider leasing town-owned land on Millhouse Road. Opponents say both Millhouse road sites are too close to homes, schools and the community that has been saddled with the current landfill for more than 30 years. 

Commissioners Mike Nelson, Valerie Foushee and Alice Gordon opposed the county-owned location, saying they cannot support an option that was not considered in a fair and transparent manner.

Bernadette Pelissier argued that there are no ideal sites and any decision process could be seen as flawed.

With no agreement on any one plan of action, the board voted 4-3 to pursue all four options, with an eye towards a final vote on December 7th of this year.