Big changes in store at the Winneshiek County Landfill

The Winneshiek County Sanitary Landfill Board has approved around $6 million in projects at the landfill that are designed to extend the life of the facility.

The landfill off Frankville Road has five cells to it, with cells #1, #2 and #3 now completed and about to be capped.  That means the landfill board is looking for ways to extend the life of cells #4 and #5.

Landfill board member Dave Pahlas says plans are to install a plastic liner in cell #4, which will catch liquids in the cell--called "leachate"--and funnel them to cell #5, which will be set up to treat the leachate, including through two new lagoons.

Leachate can have heavy metals and other threats to groundwater, so it's important to catch it and treat it.  For a discussion of leachate, visit Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leachate

Pahlas says the projects planned for the landfill will add another 25 years to the life expectancy of the facility.  The use of a shredder on site at the landfill could add another 5 years.  Such a shredder would cost another $800,000.

The landfill board has also purchased property near the current landfill in case additional space is needed.

All of the money for the projects and purchases comes from revenues at the landfill.