Salisbury, Md. — Wicomico County Council is set to review an emergency proposal designed to set firm operating rules for the Newland Park Landfill and other waste facilities. The move comes after talks that the landfill might close on certain days to commercial waste haulers. The draft ordinance will officially set hours for the landfill’s convenience center, weigh station, and county recycling centers. Council members will discuss the plan during a July 15 work session. Council attorney Bob Benson told members the urgency arose after they learned that landfill staff met with commercial haulers about limiting their access, a decision not previously disclosed to the council. Under the proposal, the Newland Park convenience center would operate daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the weigh station open six days a week. Other convenience and recycling centers across the county would be open on select days, including Sundays with afternoon hours. County Executive Julie Giordano defended the plan to restrict trash from outside the county, noting it complies with state permits and the county’s waste management strategy. Giordano said out-of-county haulers use the landfill mainly because it is the most affordable option on the Eastern Shore. The emergency legislation would require haulers bringing in waste from outside Wicomico County to notify the landfill and pay an additional fee. The council may hold a public hearing on the emergency ordinance as soon as August 5.
