Burlington Explains Why City Sends Tree Debris to Private Stump Dump

Burlington's public works director Gary Smith offered a straightforward explanation this week for why city crews sometimes haul tree limbs and yard waste to a privately owned landfill rather than the county's facility in Saxapahaw: it is closer, and both sites hold the only permits in the area for that category of waste.

"We use both the Phillippie landfill and the Alamance County landfill," Smith said in a recent interview. "We may go to Phillippie's site if we're closer to it. But if time isn't an issue, we'll probably use the county landfill."

The Phillippie Landfill in question is an existing "stump dump" along Kimesville Road in Coble Township, operated by Kenneth Phillippie. Burlington uses that site alongside the Alamance County landfill in Saxapahaw for the disposal of tree limbs, yard waste, and similar refuse. Smith said those two locations cover all of the city's needs for land clearing and inert debris because no other options exist locally with the required authorization.

"They are the only two that are permitted for this kind of waste," he explained.

The question has drawn attention partly because Phillippie is currently seeking county approval to open an additional dumping ground for land clearing and inert debris at 4115 Clapp Mill Road. That proposal, which The Alamance News described as contentious, remains before Alamance County's leaders. The prospect of a second Phillippie operation has prompted renewed scrutiny of his existing Kimesville Road site and its relationship with Burlington's public works department.

Smith's explanation suggests the city's use of the private site has been purely practical: when a Burlington crew finishing a job in that part of the county is already near Kimesville Road, routing to Phillippie's facility saves time. No contract details, tipping fee comparisons, or volume data were provided in the city's account of the arrangement.

Residents with questions about local government operations can submit them to the Alamance News Public Asks column by calling (336) 228-7851, writing to P.O. Box 431, Graham, NC 27253, or emailing alamancenews@mail.com.