Orange County NC Website
recognized immediately that this section of Millhouse Road is very dangerous. We have <br /> numerous private gravel driveways onto this road, people riding bikes, and young people riding <br /> horses. The whole point is that we also have buses coming down from the transportation <br /> center and they are not supposed to be on our road. It is too dangerous. The excuse they <br /> give for going north is that it saves ten minutes. I urge you consistently with the whole project <br /> out there to reject this. Don't waste any more time on this." <br /> Garry Carver had two handouts. He said that he is trying to show why this site does <br /> not meet the criteria established in the siting process. He spoke about the process itself. He <br /> said that the Board of County Commissioners has defined the process, what its involvement <br /> would be, and the methodology. He said that the Board has helped develop, reviewed, and <br /> approved the exclusionary criteria, the technical criteria, and the community-specific criteria. <br /> He said that he is trying to show in his handouts that if the Board uses these criteria, this site <br /> would not be on the list. He said that the criteria clearly states that the site should be greater <br /> than 25 acres and should not involve streams or ponds and should have sufficient buffer. The <br /> site should not be close to parks or other recreational areas. The site should have sufficient <br /> space for roadways, queuing, and parking and this does not exist. This site encroaches on the <br /> adjoining property and has other environmental impacts such as vehicle emissions from the <br /> Town Operations Center, storm water runoff from the Town Operations Center, and <br /> groundwater contamination from the existing landfill. He said that the most important point is <br /> that the County's criterion specifically states that no group of people should bear a <br /> disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences. He said that Millhouse <br /> Road has borne those consequences for 30 years. He said that justice implications are not <br /> only race. He said that as part of the initial public hearing, it was emphatically made clear that <br /> duration and long periods of time also impacts the people in this community. He said that the <br /> Mayor has said that this can save costs and the money could be used to help the Rogers Road <br /> community. He said that he is all for Rogers Road getting every dime they can get and every <br /> drop of water, sewer, recreation, etc. that they can get. He said that the residents of Millhouse <br /> Road have been excluded from this discussion. The only request has always been no more <br /> waste operations in their neighborhood. He said that this process should stop now. He said <br /> that, if this goes forward, the Board has had one year considering the other sites, but it will <br /> spend a few weeks considering this site. This is not a just time. <br /> Bonnie Hauser spoke for Orange County Voice. She said that Orange County Voice <br /> was encouraged by the concerns about the costs for the Bingham site and questions about the <br /> accuracy of the County's cost estimates. They also appreciate the work on the environmental <br /> impacts. Based on the findings, the Board should eliminate the Howell site based on its own <br /> exclusionary criteria. She asked the Board to consider the suggestion that was made last <br /> week for a search for 5-10 acre sites near a town and possibly the 1-85 weigh station site. She <br /> said that the estimate for the Bingham facility is low and the volumes, fuel costs, distances, <br /> and truck speeds are incorrect. She asked that, before the Board start considering another <br /> site, that it look at how much it has spent in consulting fees. She asked the Board to find out <br /> how much it will cost to continue work on the Howell property. Orange County Voice hopes <br /> that the partnership with Durham will be considered also. She said that there is no basis for <br /> proceeding with a facility in Bingham Township and it is a waste of taxpayer money to continue <br /> this. <br /> Ray Kirby brought a petition signed by over 1,000 people. He read the petition: <br /> "We oppose siting a waste transfer station in rural Orange County. Orange County <br /> should immediately terminate all work on waste transfer station on rural West 54. Instead we <br /> request that the County locate this in a commercial area close to or in town, near a highway, <br /> such as 1-40, 1-85, and near water/sewer. Any site selected should be a part of a plan to move <br />