UPDATE: Wicomico County Council Approves Legislation to Prohibit Out-of-County Waste and Secure Landfill and Convenience Center Operations
UPDATE 08/06/25: The Wicomico County Council has approved legislation that prohibits the disposal of out-of-county waste at Wicomico County facilities, thereby protecting local resources for County residents and businesses. It also codifies the current days and hours of operation for the landfill, convenience centers, and recycling centers, ensuring that these critical services remain available to the public. To promote accountability, the bill establishes fines and penalties for violations, including suspensions of facility access for repeat offenders. Additionally, it requires that any future changes to facility hours or access must be approved by the County Council in a public legislative session, except for temporary
emergency adjustments related to weather, safety, or staffing.
UPDATE 06/30/25:Â
The Wicomico County Council will introduce legislation to codify the hours of operation for the Newland Park Landfill, County convenience centers, and recycling centers. The County Council has expressed concern that a planned, phased closure of landfill access for commercial haulers could create serious operational and economic impacts on the commercial haulers as well as the public in general. However, Adam Corry who is the acting Landfill Superintendent at a news conference this morning said the legislation is flawed and explained what the main issue is regarding the landfill…
Corry adds that when they accept waste from other counties, they’re using up space that rightfully belongs to Wicomico County residents—adding that it’s critical to stop that practice. Corry emphasizes the need for legislation that fully bans out-of-county trash, with proper enforcement. This effort had already begun before the current legislation was introduced. The Superintendent is eager to work with the council to ensure this issue is addressed properly. County Executive Julie Giordano hopes the legislation planned to be introduced on the evening of Tuesday July 1st will be withdrawn to consider the bigger picture and have an open discussion that includes all the key information.
Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano at a news conference on Monday talked about the goal they are trying to accomplish…
 The Wicomico County Council is scheduled to meet Tuesday July 1st at 6 p.m. On the agenda is the introduction of:
“Legislative Bill No. 11-2025 – AN EMERGENCY ACT to Add New Sections to
the Wicomico County Code to Codify the Operating Days, Hours, and Location of
the County Landfill, Convenience Centers, and Recycling Centers; to Require
Compliance by All Commercial Haulers; To Add Definitions; and to Prohibit the
Unlawful Disposal of Solid Waste Originating Outside of Wicomico County- Mr. Mike
Svaby, Deputy Director of Public Works” (from the County Council website).
There will also be a public comments segment.
UPDATE: Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano will hold a news conference in Salisbury on Monday, June 30th at 11:00 am to discuss potential changes and regulations at the Wicomico County Landfill. Further information from the County Executive will be forthcoming regarding the issue.
Original Post and Information from the Wicomico County Council:
The Wicomico County Council will introduce legislation to codify the hours of operation for the Newland Park Landfill, County convenience centers, and recycling centers. This bill is in response to the County Executive’s recently announced plan to begin phasing out access to the landfill for commercial haulers and the possibility of closing convenience centers. The proposed legislation will permanently establish operating hours for all public waste facilities, helping both residents and businesses plan accordingly.
Additional Information from the Wicomico County Council:
The Council believes it is critical to provide consistent and transparent hours of operation to protect the public interest and ensure the continued functionality of waste disposal services across Wicomico County.Â
According to the County Executive’s “Tonnage Inflow Limitation Strategy”, the phase-out will occur in four stages, as illustrated by their proposal below:
Tonnage Inflow Limitation Strategy
Phase 1: August 1, 2025
* Newland Park landfill will NOT accept commercial hauler waste on SATURDAYS.
Phase 2: October 1, 2025
* Newland Park landfill will NOT accept commercial hauler waste on SATURDAYS & MONDAYS.
Phase 3: February 1, 2026
* Newland Park landfill will NOT accept commercial hauler waste on SATURDAYS, MONDAYS and
another day to be determined.
Phase 4: July 1, 2026
* Potential complete closure to commercial haulers.
*** Commercial haulers serving municipalities will be exempt to all the above ***
Solid Waste will study the impact the closure had on each phase. The need to implement the next phase of the closure will be determined based on those results.
The County Council is concerned that this phased closure could create serious operational and economic impacts on the commercial haulers as well as the public in general. On the days when the landfill remains open to commercial haulers, there is a strong likelihood of longer wait times, vehicle backups, and significantly more tonnage being dumped within shortened timeframes. This could lead to increased leachate requiring treatment and additional strain on landfill operations. More critically, restricting access to commercial haulers that do not serve municipalities may force many small haulers out of business, limiting waste collection options for residents—particularly those in rural areas of the County.
The Council believes that codifying the hours of operation is a necessary step to maintain service reliability, safeguard against unintended consequences, and promote fairness among all County residents. The Council encourages both residents and commercial haulers to review the proposed legislation and participate in the upcoming public hearing. Comments or concerns may be submitted to the Wicomico County Council at lhurley@wiomicocounty.org.