Council gives up fight over landfill

After years of fighting to keep the Moorcroft landfill open, seeking every avenue available to make the facility viable for everyone, the town council has run out of options, a situation discussed candidly and at length at a work shop before the regular Monday meeting, this week.

As of June, the current operating permit for the latest extension will be up and, according to Public Works Director Cory Allison, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is becoming ever more impatient for a decisive move to either begin work on a new pit to the mandated standard of the state or closure of the facility.

Moorcroft Mayor Ben Glenn admitted, "We've always wanted to be self reliant and take care of ourselves as a town, but..."

The town's last significant endeavor to upgrade the landfill was a couple years ago, with a survey sent to residents throughout Crook County and the subsequent appeal to the commissioners for a place on the ballot asking to be made into a solid waste district. While approximately 65% of residents expressed their approval, according to the mayor, the request was opposed by two of the three officials.

Consequently, the council has applied to the State Land and Investment Board (SLIB) for the needed funds to design, set monitors, dig a new pit, etc and keep the facility open for everyone. The town was recently informed that SLIB turned their application down, citing an insufficient funding plan for repayment, according to HDR Engineering's Heath Turbiville.

The governing body had pledged by resolution all tipping fees to the state, but SLIB countered.

"If you wanted to do a new resolution," Turbiville expounded, "and pledge all of your solid waste funds, which would include the difference between what you're paying Western Waste and what you're collecting, they would take another look at that."

He said that though he did not know the exact numbers, the added funding from the enterprising account would, "probably get you to where their analysis of your repayment would make it so the numbers worked out".

The only other option available is to cease operations and transfer to another facility. Glenn spoke to the silence of those present, "Four years ago, I stood hard on keeping the landfill and making sure we were going to keep it for the town, but I don't know that it's a viable option anymore. If we can't get the support at the county level, from the commissioners, then Crook County is going to lose its only landfill."

There is more funding available to close the landfill and transfer than in keeping it open, according to Glenn. The state offers up to 75% matching grant funding to cease operations.

Councilman Petersen opined, "I'm concerned about the viability to sustain the payments for landfill; what it's going to end up costing us and... the new rules coming down the road." Allison mentioned the already stricter controls being laid upon the operators at the facility.

Turbiville advised the council on how the cease and transfer program works: "It will pay for the closure of your existing landfill and facilities for equipment for you to be able to transfer someplace else."

Because the town employs a contract service to collect the municipal garbage, the contract could simply contain the added expense of them hauling directly to a different landfill. This would also alleviate the town from negotiating fees with the facility as that would come under the purview of the hauling agency.

"Where the challenges come in," said the engineer, "is the other waste that isn't picked up. If you wanted to consider some sort of transfer station, where you could collect some of that waste and have it hauled someplace - that would be the benefit of [building a transfer station]."

Glenn expressed his concern about employing a full transfer station, though: "[It] adds too much to our plate. I would rather see a direct haul from town and gone than having another spot where we take garbage and handle garbage and move garbage."

Allison reminded the council, too, that if a full station was installed, at least one more employee would have to be hired.

A C and D pit, though, is one element that the mayor strongly advocates, "I believe we have to have something the public's tree branches, couches, chairs, construction debris." Recyclable metal can still be brought to the site after closure, "It's a different permit so they can collect the metals, the woods, it's onsite."

However the ever-popular dead animal pit will cease to exist. Allison said that a representative of Wyoming Game and Fish discussed the possibility of maintaining a large container onsite into which the carcasses can be deposited and later hauled out.

Turbiville told the newer council members of the numerous scenarios designed by HDR in past years covering just this possibility and that they are still viable with the exception of cost.

As the body quietly deliberated, Councilman Dale Petersen voiced his opinion, "If we were to get our application approved, at what point is money going to start rolling out? Then come to find out later that we can't really afford to do that. I'd rather us make the decision prior to spending much money on something we maybe can't do."

However, if council chooses to cease and transfer immediately, that decision may affect any extra time to utilize the remaining capacity available under a new permit, expediting closure and transfer.

Turbiville also advised the body to "have a discussion with the DEQ because if you resubmit [the application for funding from SLIB]...you're going to have to ask for more time anyway."

At the following meeting, the council approved resubmitting the amended application while preparing for probable closure in the near future.