As Buncombe County continues to reckon with debris left behind from Hurricane Helene, its Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a nearly $2.1 million expansion of the county’s landfill in Alexander.
Whittier-based contractor Buchanan and Sons is expected to start work on the 4.7-acre disposal area in August and wrap up the project by the spring of 2026. The expansion would be dedicated to Buncombe’s construction and demolition waste and have an estimated lifespan of five to six years.
Dane Pedersen, the county’s solid waste director, told commissioners that the expansion had been anticipated as part of the landfill’s long-term capital improvement plan. But he acknowledged that Helene accelerated the need for additional space.
“This storm has certainly collapsed some of our timeframes for disposal capacity,” Pedersen said. “We know that there’s a lot more material that’s come into our landfill.”
Buncombe last expanded its construction and demolition landfill in 2022, as part of a $12.3 million project that also added 13.5 acres of capacity for general household waste. At the time, officials estimated the new construction and demolition area would cover the county’s needs through 2027. However, a report shared with commissioners now says that area will reach capacity in the next few months.
Pedersen emphasized that federally funded Helene debris removal managed through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Federal Emergency Management Agency hadn’t put extra stress on the county’s facilities. He noted that those efforts have collected over 3.3 million cubic yards of material — equivalent to over 1,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools — including nearly 1.6 million from waterways, over 1.5 million from rights-of-way, and more than 161,000 from private and commercial properties. But he said there was “no question” that waste dropoffs from residents had increased after the storm.
More details on exactly how Helene impacted the landfill, Pedersen said, will be available later this year once staff have analyzed topographic site surveys. He added that Buncombe is also working on programs to keep material out of the landfill. A 2022 study of the county’s waste stream identified substantial opportunities for progress, finding that over a third of residential trash could be composted and another 20% recycled.
To that effect, Pederson noted that the county was nearing completion on a new compost shed. “When that ribbon cutting happens, biodegradable, please,” quipped commission Vice Chair Martin Moore.
Other tidbits
- Over a dozen residents spoke during public comment, opposing UNC Asheville’s development plans for a wooded property south of its main campus and asking commissioners to stand against the project. On July 11, the university’s Board of Trustees approved a lease agreement for the site with its endowment fund, which must now negotiate a lease with the prospective developer.
- The county has opened applications for its Homeowner Grant Program, which offers lower-income homeowners up to $300 toward property taxes or other housing costs. In a presentation to commissioners, Buncombe Economic Services Director Phillip Hardin said he expected high demand for the program as residents recover from Helene.
- In a late addition to the meeting agenda, commissioners approved a letter of support for the Healthy Opportunities Pilot. The experimental Medicaid program — which has garnered national attention for addressing social determinants of health like food access and housing — was forced to stop operations July 1 after North Carolina’s legislature chose not to fund it.
- Buncombe’s Parks and Recreation Department will receive a $10,700 state grant to buy mountain bikes and equipment for youth programs throughout the county. The money comes from a portion of taxes on sports gambling earmarked for youth sports.
Every first and third Tuesday, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meets at 200 College Street, Room 326, in downtown Asheville, beginning at 5 p.m. See the full recording and agenda of the July 15 meeting.
