Landfill closure funds approved

Moorcroft has been awarded funding for the closure of the municipal landfill on Wind Creek Road east of town. The SLIB grant is 85% and Mayor Ben Glenn is happy with the amount.

"It's a good deal for the town," he says.

This 85% was an increase from the initial 50/50 discussed specifically due to the reserve the town has maintained over the years that was available to match. With this funding, the town will be reimbursed for the work already done and will be moving forward with the official closure of the municipal landfill.

According to Heath Turbiville, Moorcroft's engineer, the next step is to install monitoring wells around the filled pits to ensure early detection of methane and water contaminants and acquiring the finalized closure permit from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

This closure and transfer has no bearing on the reopening of talks regarding a solid waste district, according to Glenn, who said, "It actually cleans it up a little bit because if we transfer ownership [of the property] the liabilities have already been taken care of."

The mayor's only regret is that this examination of possibilities for the landfill could not have happened earlier.