Trash-filled Thursday put squeeze on landfill

Visitors to Glenn County’s landfill Thursday were busy dumping bags of trash and even an old fiberglass boat while employees quickly covered the refuse with dirt using powerful bulldozers.

Solid Waste Program Manager Mandy Kaleykamp said Thursdays are heavy days for the landfill, which sits on 87 acres off County Road 33 west of Road D.

The facility often takes in 90 of its daily allotment of 100 tons of garbage on Thursday mornings, she said, because commercial contractors dump that day. Once the landfill reaches 100 tons, it must close for the day.

Kaleykamp said often the public does not understand the complexities of running a landfill, which must meet a myriad of state and federal guidelines to operate.

It is regulated by air pollution and water boards, monitored by wildlife agencies – and even the California Transportation Department may comment on anything it does, she said. Plus there are mandates for diverting waste, recycling and environmental protections that must be observed and cost money.

Currently, county officials are considering whether to require mandatory garbage service throughout Glenn County as a means of increasing revenue and recycling options for the future.

To close or expand?

The landfill is almost full, according to Randy Murphy, deputy director of planning and public works., and the county is at a crossroads on whether to close or expand it.

Either option will cost a lot of money, Murphy said in a recent interview with Tri-County Newspapers.

To close it could cost about $12 million, he said. Glenn County only has $3 million in its state-mandated closure fund, so borrowing the rest would be necessary.

Expansion costs were estimated at $20 million a few years ago, Murphy said, and he anticipates it could cost $40 million today. Regardless, the county would need to borrow at least $10 million to get either project started.

The landfill is not generating enough revenue to cover these potential loans because the county population is small and current fee schedules, are low, he said, so fee increases are needed.

 Right now, Glenn County charges at a rate of $30 per ton to dispose of garbage at the landfill, but that fee could go up to $50 or $80 a ton, Murphy said. “We are still crunching numbers. Hopefully, it will stay at the lower end,” he added.

In the meantime, county and city officials have not approved universal collection services or fee changes, and some have suggested the issue will be controversial – although ordinances are being examined.

Recycling issues

The landfill has an area where it collects recyclable metals and concrete or brick debris, and it looks for hazardous materials like paints and solvents to keep them out of the landfill.

It presently is meeting the 50 percent recycling/waste diversion rate, Murphy said, thanks to generous allowances by state regulators, but the diversion rate is set to increase to 75 percent in the future.

The cities have curbside recycling programs and the county wants to include that in its contract with Waste Management, the firm that handles garbage services in this area, he said. Glenn County also wants to extend the contract until 2016.

Murphy said he hopes universal garbage service will improve recycling efforts and reduce illegal dumping, which is a significant problem in rural counties.

Contact Rick Longley at 934-6800 or rlongley@tcnpress.com