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County presses for long-range landfill plan

Lead Summary
By
Mavis Fodness

When Rock County’s construction and demolition debris landfill was established 21 years ago, it was expected to reach full capacity in 35 years.
However, it appears the landfill will be full before then, according to discussion at the Oct. 18 County Board meeting.
“We’re sitting with probably 10 years of expected life in the landfill,” said Land Management Office Director Eric Hartman.
“If we request that variance, it would add another five years of life to that landfill.” 
The LMO, county highway department and consultants SEH Inc. out of St. Cloud have been reviewing current landfill practices and are exploring options, such as applying for a permit variance, to extend its life expectancy.
The landfill’s current permit stipulates a five-foot side slope for each foot of crushed debris. Changing the ratio to 4:1 would allow more materials to be compacted on the same amount of space.
According to Hartman, roughly 15,000 cubic yards of construction and demolition materials are disposed at the landfill site per year. 
About 50 to 60 percent of the materials are brought in from outside the county, however.
In an agreement with Lyon County, for every truckload of municipal waste taken locally to Lyon County, a semi load of demolition waste is brought back to Rock County. Rock County is paid to dispose of the outside demolition waste, reducing the disposal costs of the municipal waste.
“We could make our life expectancy much, much longer if we didn’t take back haul,” said County Administrator Kyle Oldre.
“But it saves money on the other side.”
The amount of those cost savings had not been determined, nor has the cost of possibly opening a new demolition landfill at or near the current site, once the current facility is full. 
These dollar amounts will be brought back to board members at a later date to establish a long-range plan. 
“It’s a courtesy to the board 10 years from now,” said Commissioner Stan Williamson. “This board needs to set something up … for them to follow.”
The demolition landfill was established at the Rock County Transfer Station east of Luverne in 1995.
The landfill is currently in the permit renewal process.
Up until 2009 the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has renewed the county’s operating permit every five years. 
However, software upgrades and other delays have pushed consideration of the permit renewal to this fall.
A 30-day public comment period for the Rock County landfill permit renewal recently closed. 
Comments, including nine from the county’s consultants, are being reviewed.

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