Landfill closer to permitting process

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
The Weston County Solid Waste District is one step closer to beginning the permitting process for the new county wide landfill, according to board member Bob Hartley. 
After the completion of a land trade with the state of Wyoming, the district began the process to build a road to its new landfill. The road has now been completed, Hartley told the News Letter Journal. The district now will wait for reports developed from the results of monitoring wells on the site before beginning the landfill permitting process with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. 
As previously reported, once the permits are secured, the construction of the facilities needed at the landfill will begin. 
Per the district’s schedule, opening of the landfill is expected by the end of next year. Hartley had previously said the earliest the county landfill would open is sometime in late 2022, although an official date is not determined. 
Because of this, city engineer Mike Moore said that the city is hoping to work with the DEQ to keep Newcastle’s Landfill No. 2 open until the county landfill opens. 
“On Landfill 2, the city has received the closure permit from the DEQ,” Moore said. “We expect to be able to stay open until the Weston County Solid Waste District opens their landfill.” 
Moore said a consultant will prepare plans and specifications for the closure work. 
“Three closure options were evaluated, with the clay cap being selected as the most economical option with a cost estimate of $1.33 million,” Moore said. “The city is eligible for up to a 60% grant through the DEQ’s Municipal Solid Waste program.”