Dive Summary: 

• In an effort to increase the life left in Colorado's Pitkin County Landfill, managers of the site are proposing to expand the area, adding a decade more to the landfill, which is expected to reach capacity in 25 years.
• The expansion would not require the purchase of more land; the plan is to expand the dumping area by filling in a ditch.
• If county approval is granted, landfill management will request a permit, which typically takes about a year and a half to obtain.

From the article:

State regulators could also require that the expanded dumping area be lined with an impermeable material to prevent contaminated water from seeping into the ground, Hall said. The existing landfill, which was built in the 1960s, is unlined.

The steady decline in construction and demolition waste accepted by the landfill has been offset by a sharp increase in municipal and solid waste starting around 2011.

Aside from expanding the facility, Hall and Pettet are hoping to launch several initiatives to increase revenues at the landfill this fall, including overhauling — and perhaps privatizing — the county’s recycling program, expanding the landfill’s composting program, and setting up a facility to accept septic waste.