Two options once land fill is full – expand or haul it (trash) away
Tue, 02/19/2019 - 12:11pm
admin
By:
Karen Edelbach
At the Board of Commissioners meeting of Feb. 12, 2019, Environmental Services Director Dan Hecht reminded Commissioners of a proposal brought forth a year ago to hire an engineering firm to complete a feasibility study, for long term planning purposes, to construct new demolition landfill space to the north of the current active fill area.
“We have two options once the existing space is full,” said Mr. Hecht. “Either expand the landfill, or haul it all away (such as to the Polk County Landfill near Crookston).”
“While the feasibility study is looking 10 years out, when the time comes it may no longer be any good,” said Commissioner Dean Newland based on previous studies.
Commissioner Mark Titera asked, “How long would it take to re-permit and re-build the landfill?”
Hecht responded that it could probably get permitted and constructed within 5 years time if we have the land available. “If we need to find a new site, we’re already too late,” said Hecht.
“I’m aware the Board has begun to set aside money and that’s why I’m bringing this up now, because we really have no idea what it’s going to cost”, he explained, adding that his best estimate based on what he could glean from his counterparts around the state is that to build new landfill space of a similar size as what’s there now would cost roughly $2-1/2 million, not including ongoing operation costs after construction. Hecht said the estimate for the feasibility study as presented earlier was between $13,000 and $15,000.
Hecht brought motions related to professional and technical work at the landfill by Terracon. They are the engineering firm who reviews and reports on our annual groundwater monitoring and is currently assisting with renewing the landfill permit. Costs are for groundwater monitoring reports and continued work required to obtain the permit renewal for operation of the landfill, in total for both motions of $9,500.
He said the cost estimate for renewing the landfill permit has nearly doubled since the process began two years ago, due to a much more rigorous application process and added scrutiny by State regulators on demolition landfills as groundwater monitoring has revealed impacts thought to be caused by landfill activities.
Dan Hecht included a couple of recent news articles he thought were pertinent. A MinnPost article published Jan. 21, 2019 entitled 'The problem, and politics, of throwing old houses in the garbage' by Walker Orenstein, explains problems connected with groundwater contamination, and better ways to manage construction debris. See minnpost.com/environment/2019/01/the problem-and-politics.