Rolling Fork landfill near capacity. What happens when it fills up?

In the aftermath of March 24 tornado that tore a nearly one-mile scar across the heart of Rolling Fork, President Joe Biden promised that the federal government will pay for 100% of the total cost for debris removal and other recovery costs for 30 days.

There were designated places for some of the debris to be taken to be burned safely with other debris being taken to designated landfills.

However, much of the debris not being burned from the EF-4 wedge tornado is beginning to overwhelm Sharkey County’s local landfill.

So, much so, the Board of Supervisors for the county has made an application to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to add 20 acres to the current landfill.

“All of the debris that is burned in what is called forced-air burning, is contracted out separately,” said Bill Newsom of the Sharkey County Board of Supervisors. “Then the ashes have to be moved to a total separate landfill.”

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But that has nothing to do with the normal county landfill.

“All of our houses, construction materials, bricks and all of that goes into our county landfill,” Newsom said. “It is estimated that our county landfill may hold it all, but barely. But that leaves us with no room for anything else afterward.”

Newsom went on to say that he is hopeful the application will be approved before the landfill gets too close to filling up.

“We are definitely going to have to extend the lines of our landfill in order to get all of this stuff in the landfill,” Newsom said.

He said he believes the additional 20 acres will be more than adequate for the county’s needs for the near future.

The county already does not put any household garbage in the county landfill. It is shipped to the landfill between Greenville and Leland in Washington County.

The county has signed a temporary emergency contract with a company called H&S Industrial Services, which has already begun cleanup. The county, though, will begin accepting proposals for a long-term contractor for debris removal next week.

The twister killed 21 people, including 13 people in Rolling Fork, shredding nearly 60 miles across the region with gusts of 170 mph.

Newsom is in charge of all household garbage pickup for Sharkey and Issaquena counties that is taken to Washington County.

All of that has been done with two trucks over the last several years. One of those trucks was destroyed during the tornado. Also, two of the members of the crew of the truck were injured during the storm, including the driver.

“So, even if the truck hadn’t been damaged, we wouldn’t have the manpower to run it right now,” Newsom said.

The crew from the remaining truck has been working overtime in the couple of weeks since the storm to help pick up household garbage.

But, help has come.

Just last week, Washington County sent a truck and workers to Rolling Fork to help the undermanned team. They are also schedule to help this week as well.

“It has just been a blessing all of the help that has poured into this community,” Newsom said. “I know it’s garbage stuff and it’s not interesting to a lot of people, but it has to be picked up and it is important to the health and safety of Rolling Fork and Sharkey and Issaquena counties.”

He is also grateful to supervisors in many counties around the state, including DeSoto, Hinds and Harrison Counties, that have supplied temporary vehicles for the city and the county to assist in the cleanup.

"There are 410 supervisors in the state and I may not have talked to all of them, but I sure have talked to a lot of them," Newsom said. "It's really been overwhelming and we sure are grateful."

Newsom's survival story

The long-time supervisor, like most in Rolling Fork, has a harrowing tale from that Friday night.

"I got a text from someone in Vicksburg at 7:56 and he said to take cover now," Newsom said. "I walked out side to look. The lightning flashed and I saw the funnel. I just cannot describe how big this thing was. You see pictures and things on TV, but it just isn't anything like that."

From that point, Newsom and his wife jumped into a storm shelter on their property at the very last second.

"My wife really helped me get that door closed," Newsom said. "It hit right after that. I didn't hear a freight train but I heard a 747. It was some kind of wind, as you can imagine. You could just hear things that were tearing up outside."

While his house wasn't stripped to the ground like many others, insurance has ruled it a total loss and Newsom is now in the process of making decisions on when to push down the remains of his home.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: trash, debris in Rolling Fork filling up landfill. Where can it go