Located on the grounds of the Halifax County landfill in the Aurelian Springs community, the transfer station, a receptacle for household garbage collected by Unity of the Carolinas before it is hauled to a landfill in Bertie County by the Bowen Company, is handling about 300 tons of garbage a week, Public Utilities Director Gwen Matthews said following the presentation.

In his opening remarks, Halifax County Board of Commissioners Chairman James Pierce, said, “It's a historic occasion that's taken quite a while to come to fruition.”

Pierce said the transfer station opened on time, coinciding with the July 1 trash pickup and recycling changeover date for Unity. “It was on budget and saves residents about $100,000 a year. Anytime you can save the taxpayers money you're doing the right thing.”

The transfer station.

The opening of the transfer station, County Manager Tony Brown said, “Is a good occasion for me.”

Its completion and operation ended the county being beholden to its former pickup contractor, Waste Industries, which also owned the only transfer station in Halifax County before the county decided to go on its own. “The last contract we had was not a good situation. We didn't get a good deal.”

The transfer station puts the county in competition for business going to Waste Industries. “We had to do something different,” Brown said. “We had to find a way to even the playing field.”

Referring to odors that will crop up from the transfer station — today it was barely noticeable unless walking directly into the open facility — Brown said, “That's the smell of saving money. We had to make a change. That change was to save our citizens money.”

The decision to build the transfer station, along with the new contract with Unity, came at the right time, Brown said. “It was great planning and aligned just right. I like seeing their bright trash cans. We're proud and like their colors. You can see them.”

A trailer waits to be filled.

The contract with Unity, Brown said, also brings to the county a recycling program. “They are saving our environment and saving our landfill. We appreciate Unity stepping up to the plate.”

The collection contract and transfer station actually saves the county about $112,000 a year — $550,000 over the five-year Unity contract. If the county had gone on the way it was, 2 cents would have had to be added to the tax rate, Brown said. “The staff worked tirelessly to get this done.”

Brown said following the ceremony other municipalities may join in. “All municipalities have the option to use it. It all depends on where they are with their other contracts.”

One of the features of the transfer station, Matthews said, is county residents may bring the same items they were bringing to convenience sites to the facility. The county continues to maintain the convenience sites.