BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL) – New developments surrounding the controversial Bristol, Virginia landfill are coming from the Commonwealth’s Capitol.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares commented on the matter Tuesday.

In a release, Miyares stated an agreement has been reached. He said Judge Jenkins of the Richmond City Circuit Court entered a consent decree between the City of Bristol, Virginia, and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

Miyares stated he knows firsthand the issues residents within the vicinity of the landfill have been forced to deal with for the past few years.

“I’ve traveled to Bristol, talked to Virginians, and our neighbors in Tennessee, firsthand about the issue caused by the Bristol landfill,” Miyares said in the release. “I’m thrilled that my office has been able to reach an agreement with the City of Bristol, which will bring relief and solutions to the community. Additionally, because this consent decree has been signed by the court, it will hold the City accountable to the promises they’ve made.”

DEQ Director Michael Rolband said this latest agreement is just one more step in resolving the matter and assures they will not stop working on this issue until it’s resolved. Rolband said there is still more work that needs to be done on-site but that this move should be celebrated.

As of Tuesday, the release stated Bristol officials are halfway through implementing the Sidewall Odor Mitigation System. The implementation of this system will help eliminate odor issues. The deadline for completion of this project is June 14 and is a condition of the decree.

The city is on track to meet that deadline, as of Tuesday.

Other conditions include the completion of well drilling, which started the week of March 27 to remove both gas and liquids from the landfill and the implementation of a stormwater management plan by April 30.

The full decree can be found here.

This latest development comes just a week after Bristol, Virginia taxpayers were warned of potential new trash fees due to landfill mitigation.