Mount Holly landfill under investigation as state audit questions North Carolina’s old-dump oversight
The Gaston Co. Landfill, also identified in state records as the Mt. Holly Landfill, is listed in Mount Holly as a site under investigation, according to Charlotte Observer reporting published July 14, 2026. North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality records identify it as site ID NONCD0000321 in Gaston County.
The local status is part of a broader oversight problem identified in a performance audit released by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor on July 13, 2026. The audit examined DEQ’s Pre-Regulatory Landfill Program, which addresses sites where municipal solid-waste disposal occurred without regulatory oversight before January 1, 1983.
What is confirmed about the Mount Holly site
DEQ’s pre-regulatory landfill tracking record lists “GASTON CO. LF (MT. HOLLY LF)” in Mount Holly, Gaston County, with site ID NONCD0000321. The record warns that it contains preliminary information and cannot be relied on as complete or accurate.
The State Auditor’s report also lists the site as “GASTON CO. LANDFILL (MT. HOLLY LANDFILL)” and gives it a priority rank of 12, with a priority score of 318. That ranking is part of the program’s statewide prioritization system; it does not, by itself, establish contamination, exposure or an immediate public-health threat at the Mount Holly site.
The Charlotte Observer reported that the Gaston County site was under investigation. Other Gaston County sites were described as undergoing remediation, requiring no further action or still awaiting investigation.
Under the state program, Investigation is a process phase in which contractors seek property access, conduct site visits, collect samples and prepare reports. It is not the same as a finding that contamination is present. The program also uses an Activity Pending status for sites awaiting investigation, a Remediation status for sites undergoing cleanup and a No Further Action status for sites where risks have been controlled through cleanup or other protective measures.
Audit finds a statewide investigation backlog
As of June 30, 2025, 534 of North Carolina’s 688 identified pre-regulatory landfill sites—78%—had never been investigated, the State Auditor reported.
The audit found that approximately 84% of the sites were within 1,000 feet of residences, schools, daycares, churches or potable-water wells. That statewide proximity finding does not establish that the Mount Holly site is near any particular sensitive location, nor does it establish a site-specific risk.
The audit said that for most sites that had never been investigated, the state did not yet know what contamination might be present, whether it had spread to nearby properties or water supplies, or whether current conditions posed a risk to nearby residents. The audit also reported that serious hazards had been found at some sites that had reached the investigation stage, but those statewide findings cannot be assigned to Mount Holly without site-specific evidence.
The available Mount Holly records do not document sampling results, identified contaminants, exposure pathways or a site-specific public-health determination.
Why the work can take years
The audit attributed the program’s limited progress to resource constraints, including funding and staffing, as well as difficulty obtaining access to privately owned properties. It said available resources supported work at roughly five to six sites per year.
At that pace, the audit estimated that remediating the remaining sites could take approximately 99 years. That is a statewide program estimate, not a forecast for the Mount Holly landfill.
The audit also reported an average cost of approximately $1.9 million to investigate, assess and remediate a site. Applied across the remaining 534 sites, the gross cost could approach $1 billion. That estimate is likewise statewide and does not predict the cost of work at NONCD0000321.
The State Auditor recommended that DEQ reevaluate how sites are prioritized, seek additional funding and capacity, and work with the General Assembly and legal counsel on barriers to accessing high-risk privately owned properties. DEQ agreed with the audit’s findings and recommendations.
What Mount Holly residents still need to know
The next meaningful updates would be site-specific. They could include investigation reports, sampling results, identified contaminants, possible exposure pathways, an updated risk assessment, landowner-access information, a work schedule, remediation requirements and any public notices or protective actions.
For now, the supported conclusion is limited but important: Mount Holly has a former landfill listed in North Carolina’s pre-regulatory program, and the site is reported as under investigation. Residents should distinguish future DEQ findings about NONCD0000321 from the statewide audit rather than assume either safety or danger from the listing alone.
Sources
- North Carolina State Auditor performance audit PER-2026-4300
- NC DEQ Pre-Regulatory Landfill Tracking — Location Information
- Charlotte Observer: NC behind on inspecting old dumps, landfills, audit finds
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