
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 21, 1994                   TAG: 9404210182
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: W-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NEW CASTLE                                LENGTH: Medium

CRAIG PLAN FOR REMOVAL OF REFUSE GETS APPROVAL

Craig County's plan for handling refuse by shipping it out of the county has won the approval of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

The county board of supervisors was informed Tuesday that the plan has been approved.

James C. Adams, director of the state agency's waste division, said in a letter to the supervisors that it was "evident that you and your staff worked quite diligently to prepare a complete and workable plan."

The plan, which covers both the county and the town of New Castle, will close the county landfill and turn refuse over to a private company. The trash will be hauled to a private landfill in Amelia County.

Craig County, in the last several years, has investigated several plans for handling its refuse.

All the other plans were found to be more expensive than a contract with a private hauler.

On another question, the supervisors expressed interest but postponed action on possible creation of an industrial development authority.

County Attorney James Cornwell said the board itself could take care of matters concerning industrial development, but an authority has several advantages.

One of the biggest advantages, he said, is in the field of financing where an authority could get tax-exempt funding for industrial development.

After listening to Cornwell's presentation, the supervisors instructed him to draw up legal papers necessary to begin the process of creating an authority.

On another matter, Cornwell recommended that the supervisors postpone action on raising court and sheriff fees to finance a law library open to the public, and help pay maintenance costs in the courthouse and jail.

State-set maximum fees are $2 for the law library and 50 cents for the maintenance expense. But Cornwell said the General Assembly is expected to raise these to $4 for courthouse maintenance and $2 for the law library.

He recommended the supervisors not act on raising the fees until the General Assembly bill has been signed.

by CNB