HANOVER COUNTY, Va. — Kathy Woodcock and her husband, Tim, moved to their home off Ashcake Road eight years ago, seeking peace and quiet. However, the tranquility they desired has been disrupted by the proximity of a Wegmans distribution center and a landfill situated just behind their property.
"The landfill we can hear regularly. There are tractors all the time, the roaring noise of tractors, and back-up beepers from trucks, it’s not what we intended when we moved here, right? Our peaceful little piece of rural Hanover County," Kathy Woodcock said.
Now, the owner of the existing landfill, Ashcake Road Landfill Incorporated, which primarily collects construction debris, is requesting approval from county leaders to construct another landfill adjacent to the current site.
Public records indicating this proposed expansion have raised alarm among residents who, like the Woodcocks, consider it an environmental hazard.
"This is a community of people who live off of wells. Many of us are on wells. We’re not on city water. We’re concerned already with the industrial encroachment. And if they were to build this landfill, again, closer to our homes, it’s just much more likely that we’ll suffer the effects of some sort of toxic pollution at some point," she said.
The Woodcocks aren't the only residents worried about the impact of an expansion.
A petitioncirculating among residents asking for county leadership to not approve the expansion has garnered over 200 signatures.
"The landfill owner originally promised that this land would only be used for dirt excavation, not for waste disposal. Now, they are breaking that promise and pushing to build another massive landfill next to the existing 80-foot-tall landfill, which must be capped. This puts our environment, our homes, and our community’s rich heritage in danger for decades to come," the petition reads.
In 2017, legal representatives for the landfill assured that an area designated for future expansion, referred to as a "borrow pit," would be utilized solely for dirt excavation, not waste disposal.
However, in 2022, landfill owner Nick Moore sought permission to use the area for waste disposal, a request that was ultimately voted down by county officials.
Moore declined to comment on camera when approached by CBS 6 but mentioned that he had not received any complaints about the landfill during its 30 years of operation.
This claim, however, is disputed by community members connected to a historic African American community near the site.
Renada Harris, a member of the Brown Grove Preservation Group, expressed that her organization has continuously fought against industrial growth in the area, hoping for a different outcome this time.
"We don’t want to wake up in our historic community and know that we’re going to have to deal with this landfill again for another 30 years," Harris said. "Other Black communities, they have to deal with this as well, because they put things in communities that have the least resistance, and that least resistance meaning they think that the community is not going to speak out. We have found our voice. We have allies. We are speaking out. Now we know how to fight."
The Brown Grove Preservation Group also fought against the Wegmans distribution center, citing similar environmental concerns.
"As with all land use cases, Hanover County and the Board of Supervisors encourage residents to share their input throughout the process. We remain committed to listening to the concerns and perspectives of our community as this case moves forward," a county spokesperson said in a statement about the situation.
A town hall meeting was held on Monday night at the Hanover Administration Building, allowing residents to voice their concerns.
"We only have one place that we call home, one one community. Once that's gone, it's gone, we won't get it back. So to us, it's a cry for help, a cry for saving our community, just so we can exist 20 years, 50 years down the road," Bonica Harris Cotman said. She's the founder of the Brown Grove Preservation Group.
"We're working really hard because we're running out of space, and so we need to work hard and when, so, when you have a facility owner that's working on ways to to recycle some stuff, you know, you want to kind of, sort of, you know, embrace that a little bit, but nevertheless, that's not, that's not going to be the defining factor. You know, the quality of life with the citizens is always going to be, you know, is really one of the top priorities, for sure," said Jeff Stoneman, who represents Beaver Dam on the Board of Supervisors.
County leaders are encouraging residents to keep sharing their concerns. The planning commission will meet and discuss the issue on March 20 before it goes to the Board of Supervisors in April.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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