Candler County landfill expansion proposal scrapped after resident pushback

METTER, Ga. (WTOC) -Candler County commissioners have abandoned a proposal to expand their landfill into a regional waste facility after facing opposition from residents.

The county had worked out a deal with Atlantic Waste to create a regional landfill that would have allowed 14 surrounding counties to dump their waste in Metter. County officials announced the closure of the 20-acre landfill last summer.

The landfill is reaching capacity and the county has reduced operations as it moves toward closure. The site remains open but is now closed for commercial use, with remaining space dedicated to local waste only.

The cost to permanently close the landfill is upward of $4.5 million. Commissioners plan to use all surplus budget money to pay for the closure.

“What that would effectively do is allow us not to raise fees for the next few years, and not to raise taxes at least with regard to the need to close the landfill,” said Bryan Aasheim, Candler County Administrator.

It will take time to raise the money needed for closure. The county expects permanent closure is a few years in the future, and the site will continue to operate at a reduced rate during that time.