Landfill Expansion

2007 Landfill Expansion BAT Phase 1

EPA ISSUES PERMITS FOR LANDFILL EXPANSION

By Todd Helberg-Crescent News

A process that started six years ago for Defiance County’s landfill expansion plans has come to fruition. County commissioners learned Thursday (December 21, 2006) during their meeting that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has issued the final best available technology (BAT) permit to install for the landfill project. County Environmental Services director, Tim Houck also said that Ohio EPA has issued the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit concerning management of storm water at the Canal Road landfill.

In January, Houck said, the county hopes to bid the first six-acre section of the new landfill which must be built with the latest technology. This includes a plastic liner and other environmental protection measures.

Houck said the estimated construction cost is $400,000 per acres, or about $2.5 million for the first six acres in 2007. According to Houck, new six-acre sections will be opened just south of the existing landfill every 18-24 months for 15 years. The area for expansion includes 78 acres just south of the current facility. The existing landfill has room for approximately one more year, Houck said, and will rise another 20 feet before being closed.

Houck said the process to expand the landfill began in 2000 when Ohio EPA reissued a permit for the county to continue adding to the existing landfill. The BAT permit-to-install was sent to Ohio EPA more than 1 ½ years ago, he explained. “This was a huge undertaking by everyone, and I can’t tell you how happy we are,” said Houck. “Everyone in the process from operators to scales clerks pulled together. This just doesn’t happen without a total team effort.”

Houck also credited attorneys Eastman & Smith, Toledo; consultants at Mannik & Smith Group, Maumee, who helped advise the county and work with Ohio EPA on receiving approval, as well as county commissioners.

“It was a collaborative effort led by the county commissioners and the consultants at Mannik & Smith, Eagon & Assoc., and legal advisors at Eastman & Smith,” said Houck. “Without the engineers and lawyers this project would still be no where.” Houck also complimented Ohio EPA, saying its officials were 'considerate and professional' in expediting the BAT permit process.

Houck said the expansion will give the county landfill space for 100 years. But he said the county plans to seek additional landfill users from outside the area who might shave 30 years off the facility to ensure that operating costs are met and disposal rates remain low. At present, Houck said, the landfill takes in about 1,500 cubic yards of waste daily, receives approximately $2.5 million in revenue and has an annual operating budget of $2 million. But when the new facility begins operating, he said that cost will rise to $3 million per year.

Houck said the county hopes to add another 1,000 cubic yards of waste per day to meet these higher expenses. “The landfill is here for the citizens of the Four County Solid Waste District and Defiance County,” said Houck. “We want to make sure they are taken care of. But the district (alone) does not take in enough waste to run a BAT facility.

 

2008 Landfill Expansion BAT Phase 2

Defiance County Landfill Completes 2 of 11 Phases

The Defiance County Landfill has completed construction of the second of eleven phases of Federal Subtitle D – Best Available Technology (BAT) in July. The contractor was Miller Brothers of Archbold, Ohio. The project began on April 5th and the estimated ten acres was completed under budget. The project cost was $1.6 million dollars.

The completion of this second phase and last year’s first phase; a six acre project costing $2.2 million now allows the Defiance County Landfill another five years of air space before the next phase will need to be constructed.

The Defiance County Landfill is now seeking additional customers to help off set the expenses of building additional phases. The economy of scale is preferred to the alternative of raising prices for our citizens. The expansion construction included an effort to acquire a permit to expand that began in 2000. The permit cost $1.6 million. Expansion costs since 1996 is $4.6 million. The average price per acre of a BAT cell is over $300,000 per acre.

The Defiance County Landfill needed to acquire approval for this expansion from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This was a necessity for our county to continue to provide disposal services at a local landfill. Since this expansion was approved and in process of being built, Defiance County Residents will have a place to dispose of their waste, safely, for nearly 100 years!