The untold story of how Page County, Virginia, was sold a dream that turned into a financial and environmental nightmare.
VIEW THE EVIDENCE"In the late 90s, unsophisticated rural supervisors sat across the table from big-city waste management lawyers. They didn't just sign a contract; they signed a mortgage on the county's future."
Page County officials sign the initial contract to privatize landfill operations. The pitch is seductive: take in trash from wealthier northern states, and use the fees to eliminate costs for local residents. It is hailed as a "goldmine."
Federal authorities launch an investigation into the landfill's operations. Subpoenas are issued regarding financial irregularities and waste handling. Suddenly, a new deal is cut, the landfill ownership shifts, and the federal investigation goes quiet without explanation.
Landfill Manager Billy Hall reports a $1.4 million revenue shortfall. The "Cell 11" expansion creates massive leachate (garbage juice) issues, forcing the county to truck liquid waste away at great expense.
Tracking the headlines from the initial promises to the recent financial collapse.
Beyond the news reports lie decades of persistent rumors and whistleblower allegations.
Persistent allegations suggest the original hauling contracts were tied to organized crime families in the Northeast looking for cheap disposal for hazardous materials.
Local lore claims that interests connected to Marvin Bush were involved in the ownership transfer that coincided with the abrupt end of the 2005 federal investigation.
Whistleblowers have described an unlined "tomb" where toxic chemicals were allegedly dumped under the guise of municipal waste.
The financial debt is heavy, but the environmental debt may be permanent.
Leachate Crisis: "Garbage juice" runoff has overwhelmed the facility's treatment capacity. In 2024, the county was forced to pay for expensive tanker trucks to haul the toxic liquid to other facilities.