Roxboro, N.C. — Person County leaders approved plans to expand a landfill Monday night.

The private waste site is located off N.C. Highway 158, 11 miles east of Roxboro.

The deal would increase the landfill's daily trash intake from 660 tons to more than 1,000 tons.

There were conditions attached to the special use permit, including a required study on how a landfill transfer would impact the environment.

Some leaders have said the expansion could provide a much-needed economic boost to the area – an additional $1.44 million in revenue and a 4.5 cent decrease in the tax rate.

Opponents, including residents, have argued that the 600-acre landfill is already ruining the environment and their health.