The Shoosmith landfill, situated at 11520 Iron Bridge Road in Chester, Virginia, within the Dale District of Chesterfield County, has ceased accepting waste and is preparing for closure. The facility, permitted under solid waste permit SWP587, opened in 1976 and encompasses approximately 335 acres with a disposal boundary of 203.5 acres. Its total capacity reached about 42.1 million cubic yards before operations halted. The site accepted municipal solid waste along with other materials such as asbestos and construction debris from various sources.
Operational Status and Management
Current activities focus on closure preparations, with final capping scheduled to start in August 2026 and finish in November 2026. Approximately 170 acres have already received final cover, while repairs and improvements to remaining areas are planned. Bankruptcy proceedings, initiated in June 2025, place oversight with a trustee who contracts with SCS Engineers for engineering, closure, and environmental management tasks. Essential functions like gas collection and leachate hauling continue uninterrupted.
Leachate management involves hauling between 20,000 and 100,000 gallons per day to off-site permitted wastewater treatment facilities, avoiding any discharge to Swift Creek or Piney Branch. A leachate management area upgrade for secondary containment is set for construction in August 2026. On-site treatment infrastructure for potential future sewer discharge remains in conceptual design. Stormwater and gas monitoring programs operate on established schedules.
Historical Context and Key Events
The landfill operated continuously from 1976 until 2022, when it exhausted available airspace after expansions in gas collection systems. An attempt to expand into a neighboring quarry was denied by Chesterfield County in 2018, with the decision upheld in court. Gas processing through a partnership began in 2020, leading to a treatment facility constructed in 2022. Elevated temperature conditions emerged in early 2023 at select wells. A July 2024 county order prohibited leachate discharge to the sewer system, prompting DEQ to issue an emergency permit for expanded on-site storage.
Financial assurance reviews in late 2024 identified shortfalls related to increased leachate costs, contributing to the bankruptcy filing. Quarterly monitoring for groundwater, surface water, and gas emissions is slated to restart in the third quarter of 2026. The facility maintains compliance with air permits and stormwater requirements under applicable Virginia regulations.
Regulatory Developments
DEQ has initiated updates to financial assurance regulations to address elevated temperature landfill impacts, including costs for leachate systems and corrective actions. A Notice of Intended Regulatory Action was submitted in June 2026, with public comments open through August 12, 2026. The 2026-2028 state budget directs further revisions to ensure adequate funding for cap design, leachate and gas management, and related activities. These measures aim to maintain protections for human health and the environment at solid waste facilities.
Landfill gas continues to be collected and converted to pipeline-quality natural gas at a rate of about 2,800 standard cubic feet per minute. Weekly inspections, monthly monitoring, and semi-annual stormwater sampling persist. The site follows Virginia Solid Waste Management Regulations governing all phases from operation to post-closure care. Post-closure activities will ensure long-term stability following the completion of capping.
https://www.deq.virginia.gov/news-info/shortcuts/topics-of-interest/shoosmith-landfill
Email the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors at:
Mark Miller: MillerMark@chesterfield.gov,
Kevin Carroll: CarrollKevin@Chesterfield.gov,
Jim Ingle: IngleJ@chesterfield.gov,
Jessica Schneider: schneiderjes@chesterfield.gov,
LeQuan Hylton: HyltonL@chesterfield.gov,
