A very serious, potentially catastrophic situation is developing in Chesterfield that the public doesn't seem to be aware of. It has to do with the old Shoosmith Landfill in Chester on Lewis Rd., where 400,000 gallons of leachate are being removed from the now-closed landfill every week. When the landfill sought to expand in 2018, the application was denied by Chesterfield County. Lack of available space forced Shoosmith to cease operations at the site in December, 2022 Site closure was done by permit, and evidently complied with permit requirements. With the closure of the site, revenue was drastically reduced. Between reduced cashflow and closure expenses, Shoosmith was in a precarious financial condition. Leachate removal was required by the permit, and was being removed at a cost of $0.02 per gallon. But in 2024, allegations surfaced that a former Shoosmith employee had falsified reports on the chemical analysis and quantity of leachate being delivered to a county wastewater treatmant facility. Chesterfield suspended, and subsequently terminated the disposal contract. Having to move to a private treatment provider resulted in costs increasing to $0.22 per gallon. That proved unsustainable, given Shoosmith's lack of income. In 2008, Shoosmith had been acquired by an investor that was structured as multiple companies, commonly known as VWS Holdco. VWS Holdco is effectively owned and operated by 2 individuals, Larry McGee and Fred Nichols, organized as Volunteer Enterprises. Shoosmith was named the owner and operator of the landfill in all these ownership filings. VWS Holdco and Shoosmith Bros filed for voluntary Chapter 11 in June of 2025 in Delaware. But on July 24, 2025 they converted their Chapter 11 proceedings to Chapter 7 (Liquidation). Essentially they informed the court that they would cease to do business. With that would come a cessation of leachate removal. So the big issue with that is: what happens to the 400,000 gallons per week of leachate being generated by this closed landfill? And who will be responsible for removing it?
I'm told a meeting was held yesterday (5/4) at Capitol Square between some elements of VA state government and elected officials from Chesterfield County. I don't know the subject of that meeting, but I certainly hope Shoosmith Landfill was on the agenda. At this moment, it appears that when Shoosmith is flat out of money - not a dime more available - removal of 400,000 gallons per week of leachate from this site will cease. It will accumulate and flow to God-knows where, contaminating earth, ground water, wells, and aquifers wherever it flows. Contents of this leachate are not fully known, and some old-timers say a lot of really toxic stuff was dumped at Shoosmith, back in the day. It's possible that testing over time has revealed an evolving list of toxic substances, as decomposition progresses. At this moment, it seems that no one is poised to take responsibility for this landfill when the money runs out.
For more detail on the legal history of this fiasco, see https://elevenflo.com/blog/vws-holdco