Appraisals under way near landfill

The appraisals for 14 parcels of land targeted for long-term county landfill expansion should be done by late November, providing a big piece of the financial picture for future expansion, county Public Works Director Dave Prunty told the county commissioners on Wednesday.

The Solid Waste Board hired California-based SWT Engineering — a firm that specializes in landfill expansions — to evaluate sites around the county that could be used for a landfill.

Those potential sites were pared to two logical spots, one adjacent to the existing landfill’s southwest corner and the other across Prairie View Road near the landfill.

The property adjacent to the landfill contains 13 parcels owned by 13 people and nearly all the land is developed, Prunty said.

The property across the road is undeveloped farmland with one owner.

The Solid Waste District Board’s strategic plan has a goal of owning enough land to dispose of garbage for 100 years, Prunty said. Existing land will handle those needs for about 60 years.

As the board mulls future expansion, several ideas are being bounced around in the process, he said.

One idea is to shrink the footprint of the landfill, which would require garbage to be piled higher but would reduce the amount of expensive liner material needed.

Prunty stressed that with both potential sites, development will depend on the willingness of citizens to sell their property.

SWT Engineering also recently conducted a volumetric study on how the current landfill uses air space, to compare with industry standards.

During the one-year study period the Solid Waste District used 161,630 cubic yards of air space for 93,713 tons of refuse. That breaks down to 1,160 pounds per cubic yard, much better than the district’s goal of 1,000 pounds per cubic yard, Prunty said.

In September the landfill had a 1.3 percent increase in garbage deposited there, a sign the economy is rebounding after three years of declining landfill use, Prunty said. Garbage collected from green-box sites was up 2.5 percent in September compared to last September.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.