Dumping instances increase near Stafford landfill after new fees introduced

First on Stafford Local 

After recent decision by the Rappahannock Regional Solid Waste Management Board (R-Board) to charge disposal fees at a landfill Stafford, more trash has been spotted along streets leading to the landfill.

Stafford County Supervisors Meg Bohmke and Paul Milde have both fielded complaints from several residents about the recent uptick in litter they’ve seen in their communities since the fee structure became active.

“I know of two cases myself. One was a mattress that was put outside…but the other one that I know of was I believe on Eskimo Hill Road – somebody dumped some boxes,” Bohmke said.

Under the new fee structure, residents can purchase a yearly pass for $100, a 10-coupon booklet for $30 or $4 per visit on-site at the landfill, according to a county release.

Prior to charging fees, the R-Board picked up the cost of disposal fees for residents. Milde, Aquia Supervisor and a member of the R-board, expressed his discontent with the littering as a result of the new fees, restating his position against fees for landfill use from the start.

“It was avoidable, predictable, and there was a better way to do it,” Milde said, continuing, “I’m finished arguing with the Supervisors. I’m the only one that didn’t want fees. And I stand by my position that it’s better to try to run the [landfills] in a more competitive fashion, and if necessary, ask for a small subsidy from [Stafford] county.”

According to Milde, the R-Board will handle this increase in litter by simply picking it up during their regular rounds. The litter pickup is something that the R-Board pays the cost for – which could also incentivize residents to dump their trash on roadways, versus paying the fees.

When asked, Bohmke stated that she hoped the recent uptick in littering in Stafford wouldn’t be a continued issue.

“I hope not. I know that people are opposed to paying for something that’s been free for so many years. But the fact of the matter is, when you take your trash to the dump, somebody has to do something with it. It doesn’t just stay there in one spot. And it costs money and resources and infrastructure to move that trash to another location…we’ve been very fortunate all these years that we haven’t had to pay for a landfill – and now we do,” Bohmke said.

Stafford Local reached out to one of the residents that had filed a complaint with Milde about the litter.

“I’ve noticed an increase in the amount of trash. And I was kind of anticipating this, after talking with some of the landfill workers…and there are other concerns that I’ve heard people have – they didn’t want to have to go through the program,” said George Langford, a Brooke area resident who filed a complaint with Milde, his Supervisor.

Langford cited many roads in his community where he’s seen a huge increase in the amount of trash.

“I’ve seen more trash on the side of the road – Potomac Run Road, Brooke Road…I picked up nine bags of trash. That’s unusual. You might get a beer can, or soda can thrown on the side of the road, through Raven Road, but we’re talking full bags of trash,” said Langford.

Langford also saw an increase in debris and litter on Raven Road.

While not opposed to paying the fee, Langford stated he thinks that the R-Board could handle the process of the landfill fee structure more efficiently.

“I found [the landfill] process extremely difficult…you have to go to the commercial side to go to the scale. [The worker] prints out a form. He gives you the form, and you give him the money, and then you have to drive over to the residential side…it just seems like they could streamline this process a whole lot better,” Langford said.

 Bohmke said that there are several points of confusion for residents about the new process.

“People were under the impression that once you had adhered your [landfill] sticker, and you had bought a new car, that that sticker went with [only] that vehicle. And that is not true…If you buy a sticker, and you buy a new car, you can take the sticker off and put it on your new car,” Bohmke said.

It’s also important to know where to place the landfill sticker.

“There was also a little confusion as to where to adhere the sticker. Apparently on the back of the sticker…the sticker gives you guidance to put the sticker one place, and then the [instruction] sheet of paper tells you to put it someplace else,” Bohmke said.

The landfill fee structure has only been active for a short time, and it remains to be seen if the increase in the litter is temporary, or if it will be a persistent issue until the R-Board proposes a solution.