Landfill district one step closer

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
The Weston County Solid Waste District,  in conjunction with the state of Wyoming and the district’s consultant, has taken several key steps to establish a county landfill. The new landfill, according to district board member Bob Hartley, will serve the entire county for generations to come.
In April 2019, the News Letter Journal reported that Trihydro, the environmental engineering consultant hired by the district, was directed to perform a GIS, or geographic information system, survey to find a tract of land unencumbered by airports, roads, houses or other landmarks designated by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. The purpose of the survey was to find a piece of land that the county could use for a landfill.
The then-chairman of the solid waste district board, Ed Wagoner, said the survey was needed because a previous tract of land considered by the district had title issues.
The result of the GIS survey conducted by Trihydro, Hartley explained, turned up a parcel of land owned by the state, located about 3 miles south of Newcastle, that fit all the prerequisites of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, including the land’s proximity to houses, waterways and highways. 
“This parcel of land is outside of the school section and seems like the ideal location, so we began looking at the best way to acquire the land,” Hartley said. “The best option is to trade land with the state. So we went and purchased some property down Old Highway 85 that is too close to homes and would not meet the criteria (set by the DEQ). We then went to the state of Wyoming and are now in the process of trading that ground.” 
He said that the initial exchange agreement has been approved and the State Board of Land Commissioners has agreed to start the land transfer process. Hartley said that while the process takes time, the state has agreed to let the district proceed with geotechnical testing on the site. 
“In that process, we have drilled on the site to make sure the soils would be beneficial to a landfill, and they were. We have installed some initial monitor wells, and the consultant is starting the environmental process and we have received some initial reports,” Hartley said. The initial report is 189 pages, he said. 
Also included in the process, according to Hartley, is applying for an easement across the state school section of land and that the easement is under review. The easement would allow the solid waste district to have its own access road to the landfill and the ability to maintain it to their standards.
“We are making headway, although it seems slow sometimes,” Hartley said. “We have selected the location, started on the environmental work and are moving towards getting a landfill started. I am confident within the next two years we will have a landfill up and running.”
The district is working as quickly as possibly  with the city of Newcastle as it moves toward closure of Newcastle Landfill No. 2. City Engineer Mike Moore said that the landfill is slated for closure in 2022.
“It all really takes a lot of work. You have to satisfy the state from an environmental standpoint and a historical standpoint. You have to satisfy the feds (federal government) when it comes to wetlands and other things. We are working on all of those things at the same time while being cautious about how we are spending the public funds,” Hartley said. “We want this landfill to be for the betterment of the whole county.” 
Hartley said that Trihydro has predicted that the landfill could serve county residents for more than 200 years if it is limited to local waste collection only.  Hartley said, however that the board will consider opening up the landfill to outside use. 
“We are trying to look a long way into the future. Future citizens won’t have to go through this for a while,” Hartley said. “At the same time, we are also trying to be cognizant of the tipping rate so it is economical for the people to use the landfill. That is very important. Hopefully, we can keep it lower than the current tipping rate in Newcastle.” 
Part of looking at Weston County as a whole, Hartley said, has included the discussion about transfer sites in Upton and Osage. 
“We feel it is important to have a site up there, where those people can haul their solid waste to a local location,” Hartley said. “We could then have roll-offs that haul it to the landfill site.” 
With a remote location off of U.S. Highway 85, Hartley said, the only thing that will be visible from the highway may be buildings. 
“It is out of view to the public with where it is located, and the soil and everything is ideal,” Hartley said. “I think this is a landfill the public can be proud of and something that can benefit the entire county for years to come.”