North Carolina Senate pursues landfill moratorium

On Wednesday, a North Carolina Senate committee unanimously approved an 18-month moratorium on new landfills to give state officials time to study the impact solid-waste disposal is having on the state. The bill, which is expected to reach the Senate floor today, would forestall four major landfill construction projects around the state. The new facilities would double the state’s solid waste capacity.

"We all know that landfills are an integral part of the state and of economic growth," said Sen. Clark Jenkins, the bill's sponsor, in an Associated Press report. "However, we've got to take a look at these mega-landfills before we move forward."