Frequently Asked Questions

2. Will I be able to see it from Highway 55 Bypass?
Trees in the 290-acre buffer area block the view of the landfill and will make it very difficult to see from Highway 55 Bypass. Additional vegetation in the buffer areas is currently being assessed to determine how it can best be used to lessen the visual impact. The area between Old Hwy 55 and the Bypass will be used only for excavation of soil and will be visible during excavation.

3. When will the landfill open?
Currently, the landfill is scheduled to open in late 2007.

4. Will my property value be impacted by the landfill?
Studies across the country show that any impact from a landfill on property value occurs during site planning and permitting. Once a modern landfill is operational, there is generally not a negative impact on property value. According to the Wake County Revenue Director, property values at the County's North Wake Landfill increased 48.87% from 1992 to 2000 while the County average increase was 43%. Since 2000, property values have increased in line with the County average.

5. Will my County property tax go up because of the landfill?
No. The landfill operates as part of an enterprise fund; this means that the fees collected for the disposal of waste cover the total cost of operating the landfill.

6. I’ve heard something about a South Wake Landfill Citizens Committee. What is the purpose of the Citizens Committee?
A committee for neighbors of the landfill will be organized to assist the County with development and continued operations of the landfill. The South Wake Landfill Citizens Committee will bring together a group of people that live in the surrounding areas of the landfill site and who are interested in participating in the process, to assist the County in analysis of issues and in the decision making process that occurs from the present time to the opening of the landfill. A number of decisions must be made between now and the opening of the landfill; the county does not want to make these decisions in a vacuum, but rather wants to solicit the thoughts and ideas of the citizens that live in the area. A second purpose of the Citizens Committee is for the individual members of the committee to act as representatives of their particular subdivision and act as information conduits between homeowners associations and the County on any issues that need to be addressed regarding the landfill throughout its operating life.

7. Will the Committee have a real impact?
Public participation is taken very seriously by Wake County, and in particular a division that interacts with the public on a regular basis like the Solid Waste Division. We are all citizens and we understand the importance and value of having citizen partners as a resource. A landfill committee formed at the North Wake Landfill met for eighteen months and determined how the three hundred plus acres of county land would be used after the landfill is closed to best benefit the citizens in the area and the community as a whole. The effort of the citizens resulted in the development of a comprehensive land use plan that reflected the recommendations of the committee. Although the landfill has not closed there has already been a monetary grant approved to assist in building an “environmental education center” at the landfill site. The education center was one of the committee’s recommendations.

8. How will water quality/air quality be affected by the landfill?
Today's landfills are highly engineered and constructed facilities with a
sophisticated liner system that collects any water that comes in contact
with the waste and transports it to a holding tank, until it is discharged as wastewater into the public sewer system. The groundwater around the landfill is routinely monitored through an extensive system of wells to insure that the liner system is performing as expected. The results of the sampling of the wells are submitted to the State on a semiannual basis.

The landfill will have an air permit issued by the state that requires routine sampling of air emissions from the landfill. The permit requires that any gas generated by the landfill be used as a fuel source or destroyed by a site flare to prevent emission of methane to the environment.

9. What kinds of waste will be accepted at the landfill? Will the site include a convenience station where individuals can take household waste and recyclables?
The South Wake Landfill is permitted to only take municipal solid waste. Municipal solid waste consists of general household waste, waste from commercial businesses, waste disposed of at convenience centers located around the county and non-hazardous waste from industries. The landfill will not accept waste from outside Wake County. Provisions are being made for individuals to continue to take their household waste and recyclables to the convenience center or the multi-material recycling facility that are located next to the landfill site.

10. Who serves on the Citizens Committee?
Volunteers willing to commit their time and energy to creating a strong, accurate source of information about the landfill and to impact decisions necessary as the landfill moves toward opening will compose the Citizens Committee. The Citizens Committee will have direct input to developing policies and procedures, general landscape philosophies, additional solid waste services needed or desired in the area, and assuring that the South Wake Landfill will be a good neighbor.

11. How often will the Committee meet?
The Citizens Committee will probably meet monthly during the construction period, but the committee members will determine this once it is established. Citizen committee members will have the opportunity to tour other facilities, to gather information to present in the meetings, to report the committee activity to their neighborhood organization and to solicit input from the neighborhood associations.