Orange County Looks into Trash Exchange
By Christopher Walker

Some people complain about taking out the trash, but that’s the easy part.

It’s figuring out the next step that can be difficult.
The University generates nearly 6,000 tons of trash each year, and most of it ends up in the Orange County Landfill.

Trash cans on campus fill up daily, but this is nothing compared to the amount of garbage accumulated in waste bins throughout Orange County.

The county’s landfill on Eubanks Road opened in 1972, and Orange County Solid Waste manager Paul Spire said it is nearly full.

“This landfill is scheduled to be closed,” Spire said. “We’re to reach capacity in the summer of 2010. At that time, the county commissioners had already made the decision that they will not relocate another landfill in Orange County.”

So where will the class of 2010 and later classes send their rubbish? Possibly to Alamance County.

Engineers are looking into using the Alamance County Landfill as a transfer station for Orange County’s garbage.

Alamance’s landfill has space, and isn’t closing for 40 years, but its proximity to the Haw River causes some concern.

Alamance Solid Waste Manager Alvin Cagle said the new portions of the landfill are well-lined to prevent stream contamination.

“The most important things at a landfill are safety and protecting the environment,” Cagle said.

Orange County officials said finding a transfer station will be a long process and must be state-approved. They plan to have a transfer site locked in before the 2010 closing.