Purpose of notice: To seek public comment and announce a public hearing on a draft permit from the Department of Environmental Quality regarding a landfill in Suffolk, Virginia.

Public comment period: June 4, 2026 to July 23, 2026

Public hearing: East Suffolk Recreation Center at 138 S 6^th Street, Suffolk VA 23434 on July 8, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.

Permit name and number: Southeastern Public Service Authority Regional Landfill, Solid Waste Permit SWP417

Permit applicant: Southeastern Public Service Authority (SPSA)

Facility name and location: SPSA Regional Landfill; 1 Bob Foeller Drive, Suffolk, VA 23434

This facility is an Exemplary Environmental Enterprise participant in Virginia’s Environmental Excellence Program.

Project description: The Southeastern Public Service Authority has applied for a modification to a permit that allows the SPSA Regional Landfill to operate an existing landfill in Suffolk, Virginia.  This modification to the permit would allow a redesign of the final cover slopes of Cells V, VI, and VII. The final grades of Cells V through VII are proposed to be modified to eliminate the terraces that were originally permitted in favor of a 3H:1V slope with tack-on berms and HDPE downchutes installed on top of the final cover to manage stormwater. The updated final cover design incorporates toe drain systems for stormwater and leachate management. The change to the final cover design would extend the life of the landfill by increasing the capacity of Cells V & VI by 1.6 million cubic yards and the capacity of Cell VII by 1.2 million cubic yards. This modification also reconfigures the base grades of Cell VII into three phases and relocates the sumps to the south side of the cell. Information on leachate management was removed from the Design Report and incorporated into a standalone Leachate Management Plan. To increase storage capacity for operation in Cell VII, conversion of the existing two leachate lagoons for storage use exclusively (rather than allocating most of the capacity for pretreatment) or installation of a third leachate lagoon (storage use only) are proposed as alternatives to installation of a new leachate tank. A Landfill Mining Operating Plan was incorporated for Cells V and VI. The facility’s Process Water Monitoring Plan has been replaced with a new Underdrain Monitoring Plan. Technical Specification Sections 02922, 02930, and 02933 have been updated. 

How to comment: DEQ accepts comments by hand-delivery, e-mail, or postal mail. All comments must include the name, address and telephone number of the person commenting and be received by DEQ within the comment period. DEQ also accepts written and oral comments at public hearings. The public may review the draft permit and application [online at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/permits/public-notices/land-protection or at the DEQ office named below.

Contact for public comments, document requests and additional information: Jeff Greer; Tidewater Regional Office, 5636 Southern Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23462; Phone: (757) 763-9869; E-mail: jeffery.greer@deq.virginia.gov

Draft Permit and associated documentation:

• SWP417 Draft Permit
• Public Notice
• SPSA Cells V and VI Permit Drawings
• SPSA Cell VII Permit Drawings
• SPSA Cell VII Design Report
• SPSA Cell VII Technical Specifications
• SPSA Cell V and VI Landfill Mining Operating Plan
• SPSA Closure Plan
• SPSA Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) Plan
• SPSA Leachate Management Plan
• SPSA Underdrain Monitoring Plan