Transfer Station Operations
- The regional solid waste disposal system consists of nine solid waste transfer stations that manage over one million tons of solid waste annually.
- At each transfer station, SPSA screens the waste delivered for unauthorized materials and consolidates the waste for delivery to the Regional Landfill or Wheelabrator Portsmouth for disposal.
- The SPSA member communities and their residents deliver waste to one of the nine transfer stations. SPSA also manages commercial waste delivered on behalf of Wheelabrator by private haulers at the transfer stations.
- SPSA owns, maintains, and operates a fleet of 40 tractors and over 70 tractor trailers for purposes of transporting waste materials from each of the transfer stations.
- SPSA does not provide solid waste collection services for its member communities.
The regional solid waste disposal system consists of nine solid waste transfer stations that manage over one million tons of solid waste annually.
At each transfer station, SPSA screens the waste delivered for unauthorized materials and consolidates the waste for delivery to the Regional Landfill or Wheelabrator Portsmouth for disposal.
The SPSA member communities and their residents deliver waste to one of the nine transfer stations. SPSA also manages commercial waste delivered on behalf of Wheelabrator by private haulers at the transfer stations.
SPSA owns, maintains, and operates a fleet of 40 tractors and over 70 tractor trailers for purposes of transporting waste materials from each of the transfer stations.
SPSA does not provide solid waste collection services for its member communities.Solid Waste Disposal
The Regional Landfill is located on an 833-acre parcel off the merged US Routes 58, 13 and 460 in Suffolk, Virginia.
SPSA is currently disposing of solid waste within Cell VI, which is 41 acres of landfill adjacent to Cell V. Waste disposed of in Cell VI, will overlap onto completed grades of Cell V, until final filling grades are achieved. A 56-acre Cell VII has been permitted, but has not yet been constructed. Based on current filling rates and capacity remaining, it is anticipated that Cell VII construction would commence by 2026 for operations by 2028.
Solid waste materials received at the Regional Landfill include municipal solid waste from the member communities of Suffolk, Isle of Wight, Franklin and Southampton. Commercial and special wastes generated from within the member communities are also accepted at the Regional Landfill for disposal. About 1,300 tons waste is disposed at the Regional Landfill per day.
SPSA contracts with Wheelabrator Portsmouth for the processing and disposal via incineration of the municipal solid wastes from Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach. About 1,400 tons of waste from the SPSA member communities is disposed at Wheelebrator per day. Waste materials are processed (reduced in size) to generate a refuse derived fuel for boilers that generate steam for the U.S. Navy and electricity. The ash residue from the combustion of the waste materials is transported by Wheelabrator to the Regional Landfill for use as an alternative daily cover or for disposal, based on its quality.
Tire Processing Facility
In order to provide our member communities with a safe, economical and environmentally prudent method for disposal of used tires, SPSA operates a Tire Processing Facility at the Regional Landfill. This facility accepts all types of used tires ranging from small passenger vehicle tires to large off the road tires. Tires pass through a large shredder that cuts the tire into small pieces that can be beneficially re-used at the Regional Landfill as Alternative Daily Cover (ADC) and to repair access roads. The facility accepts tires from member communities as well as from commercial sources throughout the service region. The facility regularly processes 3,000 tires per day resulting in fewer tires being illegally dumped on vacant property. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality provides partial re-imbursement for the cost of disposal due to the beneficial re-use of the processed tire material.
Household Hazardous Waste & E-Waste
SPSA operates Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and E-Waste collection sites at the Chesapeake Transfer Station, Norfolk Transfer Station, Franklin Transfer Station and the Regional Landfill. These sites accept up to five gallons of liquid material or seventy five pounds of solid material from citizens per trip and up to 5 pieces of electronic waste. Citizens are allowed up to twelve trips per year to one of our sites. A valid driver’s license or proof of residence is required when dropping off HHW or E-Waste to one of the SPSA four sites. In addition, SPSA provides approximately fifteen special collection events hosted by our member localities each year. These events are held at various sites selected by the member locality and SPSA assists by providing on-site collection with our mobile HHW and E-Waste collection trailers.
Scrap Metal Collection & Recycling
In an effort to minimize waste being placed in the landfill, SPSA offers scrap metal collection at the Regional Landfill. All types of ferrous and non-ferrous metal are accepted to include car parts, bicycles, metal piping and other scrap metal. In addition, SPSA accepts appliances which are then disassembled. The metals within the appliance are recycled while the other parts of the appliance are properly disposed of. These materials are stored in large containers and eventually transported to recycling facilities for processing.