BY DONNIE JOHNSTON

The Culpeper County Board of Supervisors has deferred for 30 days a request by Recyc Systems to build a biosolids storage facility in the Elkwood–Remington area, following an extended public hearing that followed some procedural confusion.
About two dozen speakers walked to the podium during the public hearing Tuesday night, and only three were sympathetic to Recyc’s use-permit request.

As occurred during a similar forum at the Planning Commission meeting two weeks ago, the rest cited history, traffic problems, health concerns and smell as reasons they didn’t want the facility in their neighborhood.
Joseph McKinney, president of the Brandy Station Foundation, told the board that the 260 acres on which Recyc wants to build its storage facility in located near four Civil War battlefields. He urged the supervisors to deny the use permit because it was the county’s duty “to preserve this land as part of the [Civil War soldiers’] legacy.”

However, Perry Cabot, representing the Society for the Preservation of Culpeper History, pointed out that if you preserved all the historic land in Culpeper and added buffers, “You would foreclose half the county.”
Cabot cited Virginia historical maps as the basis for his statement.
“There should be limitations, but not denial,” Cabot said.
Others were not so sympathetic. Matthew Grimsley said that the proposed facility would be only a short distance from a “Welcome to Culpeper” sign, and the odor might give travelers a bad impression.
“The first thing they do is smell poop,” he said.

Recyc has asked for the permit to store the biosolids (treated human waste) that the company picks up from the Blue Plains treatment plant in Washington. Those biosolids are spread on farmers’ fields as free fertilizer during good weather.
Several speakers complained about the traffic—as many as 40 trucks on some days—that such a facility would generate.
The proposed vinyl covers over the two containment areas were also a concern, as was contamination of the Rappahannock River, which is less than a mile away.
The supervisors twice voted to defer the matter. They did so early in the meeting, but then several supervisors wanted to give the large number of residents who packed the meeting a chance to speak.

So, the board voted to undo its initial tabling action and hold the public hearing as advertised. Then it tabled the matter again.
Tuesday night’s public hearing, however, was not closed but only recessed until the March meeting.

Donnie Johnston:
djohnston@freelancestar.com