The mostly Black neighborhoods of the Holly Springs area have received a disproportionate share of Wake County’s landfills for more than three decades.  For five years, residents of these communities, as well as newer, more affluent communities nearby, fought in court against the siting of a tenth permitted solid waste facility.  Although the North Carolina Supreme Court allowed the county to proceed with the construction and operation of the landfill, the two sides reached a settlement in 2003 that provided some protections to the community.  The new landfill will open in 2007. 

"Every one of [the landfills] has been in minority neighborhoods. Holly Springs has had enough."

- Mayor of Holly Springs in 1998 newspaper article