Alamance County’s commissioners voted 4-to-1 to approve an intent to construct permit for the new Phillippie landfill at 4115 Clapp Mill Road Monday night, capping a controversial debate over the past several months.
The commissioners reached this split verdict after an attorney for the applicant was given 15 minutes to make his case followed by a 15-minute presentation from an opposing attorney.
The opposition’s arguments against the permit’s approval included a much-disputed claim that the landfill’s internal access road should be considered part of the “operational area” and therefore subject to a 150 setback requirement that applies to the landfill’s operations.
County staff had argued that applying this setback to the internal access road would effectively prevent it from connecting to the nearest state highway.
The staff’s interpretation ultimately won over commissioner Pam Thompson, who made the motion to approve the proposed permit; Sam Powell, who seconded her motion; Ed Priola; and the board’s chairman Kelly Allen.
Vice chairman Steve Carter cast the lone vote of dissent, noting his general frustration with the applicable ordinance. Read more later this week in the April 23 edition of The Alamance News.
