Virginia Beach in Showdown with Regional Trash Authority

A plan to turn over the region’s trash disposal to a new company called RePower South excludes private haulers. Only trucks that pick up municipal solid waste – basically, the garbage from bins that homeowners drag to their curbs – would be guaranteed access to the transfer stations beginning in January 2018.

The SPSA board last month discussed a proposal from Virginia Beach that would ensure access to the stations for private haulers, but the idea didn’t come to a vote. The authority’s chairman, Marley A. Woodall Jr., said he had been considering appointing a committee to look into it. But he said it was too late for more amendments to a “use and support agreement” that cities and counties are being asked to approve to continue their participation in SPSA.

In effect, that agreement binds the localities to go with Spartanburg, S.C.-based RePower for up to 15 years starting in 2018. SPSA is aiming to get the support of enough of its eight member communities so it can wrap up a contract with the company by Friday.