By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph is asking trash haulers to voluntarily reduce tonnage by 30% in an effort to extend the life of the portion of the landfill in use as it attempts to prepare the next section.
The city is also asking state regulators for some wiggle room to give it more time to expand the landfill.
Mayor John Josendale says the city hopes to extend the life of Cell 7 as preparations continue to open Cell 8. He says this doesn’t mean trash won’t be picked up.
“What we’re asking is, in some of the larger haulers and ourselves included, but if you can take one load or a couple of your loads, which would equate out to up to 30% we’d like, to a different landfill then that would help alleviate the pressure on our landfill at this point in time until we can get Cell 8 open,” Josendale tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
St. Joseph has also asked the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for a temporary expansion of Cell 7 to give the city more time to open Cell 8. According to the city, DNR is working closely with it on several approaches to maximize capacity of the active area of the landfill. The city expects DNR to decide by the end of the month on its request to expand Cell 7. St. Joseph hopes to receive DNR approval to open Cell 8 as soon as possible.
The St. Joseph City Council during its meeting Monday approved a $1.1 million contract for M-CON to prepare Cell 8 as soon as possible. Groundwork will also begin to prepare Cell 9 at the landfill.
Josendale says a new tier rate structure is in effect and rate increases are likely coming. The city says rates at the landfill have increased only $2 in the past 20 years.
“If you look at the economy as a whole, there’s not anyone that would tell you that we haven’t had increases in 20 years and to say that we have not had any increases in our dumping costs would not make sense,” according to Josendale.
Josendale says the city finds itself at the crossroads with the landfill.
“One of the things we stress over and over again, we being the current council, is long-term sustainability,” Josendale says. “And, unless we set stuff up to where we all know where it’s going and where it needs to go so that we don’t get hit with these emergencies or situations where we’re behind the Eight Ball.”
After controversy arose over proposed hikes in landfill fees, the city council formed the Landfill Task Force to advise it on landfill operations and fee structure.