Politics & Government

Harford Announces Trash Agreement With Baltimore County

Harford County will use the Eastern Sanitary Landfill in White Marsh to dispose of solid waste starting in 2016, Harford officials announced Tuesday.

Harford County Executive David Craig announced Tuesday plans to dispose of the county's solid waste in Baltimore County when the existing agreement with the U.S. Army expires in 2016.

The estimated annual cost for moving solid waste and recyclables to the Baltimore County transfer station is $13.4 million.

The new agreement with Eastern Sanitary Landfill also means the county no longer plans to build a waste transfer station at the former Plecker Golf property in the 800 block of Philadelphia Road in Joppa—a proposal that was met with strong community opposition.

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The county currently disposes of solid waste at the Harford Waste Disposal Center on Scarboro Road in Street and the Waste-to-Energy facility in the Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground. The Army does not plan to renew its agreement for the facility, which expires in March of 2016.

The Scarboro Road landfill is reaching capacity and is also slated to close in 2016.

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During a brief news conference, Craig announced Harford County has come to an agreement with Baltimore County and starting in 2016, will transport solid waste to the Eastern Sanitary Landfill in White Marsh for disposal. The facility is only 2 and a half miles farther than the Waste-to-Energy facility on APG.

"This is a great example of two counties working together to come to a solution for a problem," Harford County Director of Public Works Tim Whittie said.

The county considered at least nine other potential solutions to the waste disposal issue, all of which had higher cost estimates than working with Baltimore County.

"This is just the initial phase. We are going to look at an even wider range of how we provide services to Harford County," Craig said.

The county also plans to study what the best use for the Plecker Golf property in Joppa will be.

Among the possibilities are building a senior center or allowing the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company to utilize the property.

"Anything except a Walmart," Craig said.


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