Landfill expansion to be discussed Tuesday

The long-term plan to acquire more land to expand the Flathead County landfill will be discussed at a Tuesday, April 10, meeting in Kalispell.

The 6 p.m. meeting will be in Room 139 of the Arts and Technology building at Flathead Valley Community College.

When members of the Solid Waste District Board approved their strategic plan, they included a goal of owning enough land to bury garbage for 100 years, county Public Works Director Dave Prunty said.

Today, the district owns land to handle garbage needs for about 60 years.

The board hired an engineer to evaluate sites around the county that could be used for a landfill. The initial list of about a dozen sites was pared to two logical sites, Prunty said. One site is adjacent to the landfill’s southwest corner and the other is across Prairie View Road from the landfill.

The land adjacent to the landfill contains 13 parcels owned by 13 people and nearly all the land is developed, he said. The property across the road is undeveloped farmland with one owner.

All of the property owners at those two sites have been notified of Tuesday’s meeting, Prunty said. He and board members want the property owners to attend the meeting, hear about the solid waste district’s plans and offer their opinions.

Anyone may comment at Tuesday’s meeting.

Board members have been talking to most of these landowners for nearly a decade, Prunty said, as they have evaluated future landfill expansions.

The solid waste district board still is in the information-gathering phase of the land acquisition effort, Prunty said. Members haven’t decided what land they may try to purchase or when such purchases might occur.

The solid waste district operates with interlocal agreements between the county and the three incorporated cities in Flathead County.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.