trash talk

Shannon Thompson

The Clay County Landfill is a mixed municipal solid waste land disposal facility owned and operated by Clay County. The Landfill (Permit No. 34), operating since 1972, encompasses 182 acres in Hawley Township. Approximately 2/3 of the landfill acreage is utilized for landfilling activities with the remaining acreage consisting of swampy areas.

Three improvement projects wrapped up this spring at the Clay County Landfill. They include final cover on a section of the landfill, a new cell, and a new citizen drop off. These projects will lead to improved operations and customer service at the landfill.

Final cover at a landfill consists of several layers that have very specific slopes to control water runoff. A layer of soil is placed over the waste. This is covered by an impervious barrier. Finally, this barrier is covered with soil and grass. These layers ensure that the waste stays in place.

A landfill cell is more than a hole in the ground. To protect groundwater, the base of the new cell was lined with clay and an impervious barrier. Piping to collect the water that soaks through the waste was connected to the existing system. To minimize greenhouse gasses, 13 new gas wells were installed. A boiler was installed to use the landfill gas to heat the shop and a new flare was installed. A layer of sand was then put over the floor of the new cell. The first layer of waste was placed in the cell being careful to keep the barrier from being damaged.

The improvement that residents will notice at the landfill is the new citizen drop off. Previously when citizens dropped waste off at the landfill, they needed to put it into bins. Getting waste up into the bins was often challenging and the bins filled quickly. The new citizen drop-off allows residents to drive up a slope and toss their trash down into large roll off containers that are staged behind the man-made hill. The larger containers mean less downtime at the drop-site waiting for the bins to be emptied. The new drop area allows for small private dump trailers to be unloaded more efficiently. The recycling of tires and appliances has also been moved to the new drop off.  If you are in the area stop by for a tour of the new citizen drop off!