Featured photo: A photo posted at Bingham Park telling people to stay out of the area. (photo by Marielle Argueza)

UPDATE 7/18/24 at 8:00 p.m.: Per a Thursday evening press release from the city, the meeting has been postponed.

What’s going to happen to Bingham Park, the site of a former pre-regulatory landfill and household incinerator situated in east Greensboro?

On Tuesday, July 23, city leaders planned to discuss plans for park cleanup and waste disposal options at 5:30 p.m. in the Katie Dorsett Council Chamber at Melvin Municipal Office Building, 300 W. Washington St. 

However, per a Thursday evening press release from the city, the meeting has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date. According to the press release, city council, in consultation with city staff, “would like to continue its due diligence of exploring additional precautionary measures to ensure optimum safety as it relates to the potential remediation and disposal process.” The press release adds that new potential additional safety measures have been presented.

Between the 1920s and 1950s, the site became home to hazardous materials such as arsenic, iron, manganese and lead. Pre-regulatory landfills like Bingham weren’t lined back in the day, allowing a host of volatile compounds to leach into the soil and groundwater. Now the city is working with the NC Department of Environmental Quality to evaluate and clean up the site by removing the soil. 

But that dirt has to be disposed of somewhere. Over the last several months, the city has identified three landfill options: Uwharrie Landfill in Troy, Great Oak Landfill in Asheboro or White Street Landfill in Greensboro. While the city’s estimate for remediation costs clock above $24 million if they decide to use White Street Landfill, the other two options in Asheboro and Troy balloon between $36 million and $54 million, respectively. White Street Landfill would be fiscally ideal for the city, but the suggestion has been met with criticism from locals near the landfill. For decades, they have faced the harmful effects of the landfill’s placement near their neighborhoods. However, it would accelerate the city’s plan to eventually close White Street Landfill, shaving off eight years from its anticipated close date.

For a deeper dive, check out TCB’s previous reporting on Bingham Park and White Street Landfill.

How can I contribute to the conversation?

To speak on the issue, register online here. To sign up to speak via Zoom, you must submit a request by 5 p.m. on July 22. You can also sign up in person at the meeting. For ADA information or assistance, reach out to ADA Coordinator Gary Canapinno at (336) 373-2723 or [email protected]. Speakers must check in with the courier upon arrival. According to the city, residents can watch the meeting live on YouTube, Spectrum channel 13, Lumos channel 31, AT&T U-verse channel 99, or Roku.

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