Landfill Liaison Carl Ashworth and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Representative Billy Smith discussed different concerns related to the county landfill during the Lunenburg County Board of Supervisors meeting Thursday.

County Administrator Tracy Gee spoke about an incident of high mud on Old Mansion Road, the road adjacent to the landfill on March 21.

“It was very severe one day, so much so that you couldn’t see the road, so one of the concerns was why is it this way,” Gee said. “There is a new staff down there, new leadership, and I believe there was some miscommunication, but that is not an excuse for the way the road looked.”

She said the CEO of landfill owner Container First Services (CFS), Tim Webb, came to Lunenburg to use a water truck to clear the road.

Gee said volunteers of Victoria Fire & Rescue also used its own water truck to treat the road. She said there was a threat of the road freezing due to recent snow in the area.

Ashworth cited miscommunication and new staffing among reasons for the persistent instances of mud on the roads. “The problem with the road is that we fix it today, (but) we don’t fix the problem,” Ashworth said. “We clear it out to get it back to where it’s supposed to be, but then it rains again and we basically have another kind of problem. It’s continuing, and I know that’s one of the problems that VDOT’s had. The problem is not being solved.” “That being said, they are putting money in it, they are working at it,” Ashworth said about CFS’ involvement with the Lunenburg landfill. The company is based in Petersburg. Ashworth noted that problems had begun early on in the landfill’s development and do not appear to be solved. “It’s been behind so long that ever since they’ve been there, they’ve had problems,” Ashworth said.

Brown’s Store Supervisor Mike Hankins said he received the news of the mud on Old Mansion Road while he was visiting his children and new grandchild in Texas.

“I hope this never happens again,” Hankins said.

Ashworth noted that VDOT compiled a list of items for the landfill to improve.

Plymouth Supervisor T. Wayne Hoover requested Smith to offer VDOT’s perspective on the landfill.

“We have met with Mr. Webb several times,” Smith said. “What we have asked for is once mud is put in the road, the only way to get it real clean is to sweep it and wash it when it’s wet.”

“You have the safety hazard on the highway,” Smith said of the consequences of the mud.

He said the department’s goal is to have the road clear, but said the goal has failed to be successful.

“Every time it rains, it’s a mess,” Smith said. “It’s a lot of expense, I know, for them,” Smith said about CFS. “It’s also an expense for us.”

“It’s a cost to the taxpayers that we shouldn’t have to bear,” Smith said. “But it is a very serious matter. We are looking at it very seriously, daily.”