CALVIN, W.Va. — The West Virginia Solid Waste Management Board made an unprecedented move this week when it seized control of the Nicholas County Solid Waste Authority including the day-to-day operations of the Nicholas County Landfill.
“There was a complete lack of internal controls in place,” SWMB Executive Director Mark Holstine said in a news release. “If allowed to continue down this path, there would be huge financial problems and those could lead to environmental ones at the landfill.”
Holstine is now overseeing the operation. He was on site Friday managing the 13 employees who work for the Nicholas County Solid Waste Authority. It marked the first time the state board has taken control of a county authority in its 38-year history.
The state Solid Waste Management Board first began looking at the Nicholas County operation in 2011 but the board said things have gotten worse not better. The operation was most recently $300,000 in the red. Back in 2006 it had a positive balance of $238,000. Its assets have dropped 20 percent in the last few years.
Holstine said the record keeping has been poor. He said it appears the garbage collection service has 700 customers but he can’t be sure.
The Nicholas County landfill is located in the community of Calvin.