While Halifax County is moving forward with plans to build a solid waste transfer station, plans for how to best use the old airport property are still being researched and are essentially at a standstill.

County Manager Tony Brown said this morning the county has submitted a permit application for the transfer station to the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

It is currently working on request for proposals for the project and construction is expected to begin at some point this year to beat a 2013 deadline which is when its contract with Waste Industries expires.

There have been no further negotiations with Waste Industries since the county last summer agreed to move forward with the project, Brown said.

“It's a go,” the county manager said. “The only question to be answered is if Roanoke Rapids is going to partner with us. We'll be trying to engage other municipalities to work with us.”

Meanwhile, Brown said the potential uses of the old airport have still not been identified. “The East Carolina University folks are still gathering preliminary information to get additional feedback.”

The best use was considered to be for industrial use but since a new industrial is being built in the county those plans have been abandoned, Brown said. “Recreational purposes have been mentioned as well as car uses like in Northampton. It's not a definite option. With the economy there is really no need to do anything.”