MURPHY, N.C. – The Cherokee Board of Commissioners has agreed to allow its Solid Waste Department to transfer materials to Advanced Disposal Waste Transfer Station in Mineral Bluff.

Robert Ward, Cherokee County NC Solid Waste Director speaks to Commissioners urging immediate waste transfer to Mineral Bluff, GA.

Robert Ward, Solid Waste Director, stated there had been an 11 percent increase in local waste in the last five years, helping to fill the current cell faster than was originally planned. But, until the new Phase Five cell can be constructed, waste was needed to be transferred out to another location to ease the burden on the current landfill.

He told the commissioners that as of April 12, 2019, there “was only 12 weeks of air space left”. He further added the loss of the compactor within the last year is the main reason the landfill was being filled to capacity. Landfill track hoes simply “could not compact trash as needed” as a compactor does.

County Manager Randy Wiggins agreed with Ward saying, “The loss of the compactor result(ed) in the loss of air space.”

Ward said immediately transferring waste would be at a cost of $56.14 per ton to the Mineral Bluff facility where Advanced Disposal agreed they would accept all loads.

It was further agreed Cherokee County could cancel the transfer at any time thus not tying the county to a long-term obligation.

A new compactor has recently been purchased, but has not come in time to alleviate the air space situation which is in its critical phase at this time.

Hauling to Mineral Bluff will begin next week.

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