WHITE MARSH, MD—A public meeting has been announced to discussed the vertical expansion of the Eastern Sanitary Landfill that County Executive Johnny Olszewski first proposed back in January.

The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at the Rosedale branch of the Baltimore County Public Library.

In 2021, the Olszewski administration’s Solid Waste Work Group released their final report outlining recommendations for improving the County’s solid waste collection and disposal system and reducing the overall volume of trash produced in Baltimore County.

A key recommendation of the Solid Waste Work Group’s report encouraged Baltimore County to explore potential vertical expansion of the Eastern Sanitary Landfill to enhance the landfill’s longevity.

The proposed potential vertical expansion would change the current permitted height of the landfill from 192 feet to 230 feet — adding over three million tons of additional capacity — without changing the landfill’s physical footprint at the site.

As a result, this vertical expansion would further extend that estimate up to 20 additional years—extending the longevity of the landfill potentially past 2060.

“We have an ongoing commitment to environmental health in Baltimore County, and identifying a solution to appropriately dispose of waste without expanding the footprint of the landfill is ideal,” said County Executive Olszewski back in January. “Reducing the amount of waste going into our landfills is a priority, and we encourage all residents to become strong stewards of our shared environment by taking advantage of our recycling services and to help keep our communities clean and green.”

BCPL’s Rosedale branch is located at 6105 Kenwood Avenue (21237).

Photo via Pixabay