Publicly owned landfills are often smaller than their private counterparts, and can struggle with costs. That's the case with a few landfills in recent weeks.
In Pennsylvania, Lycoming County recently transferred operations of its landfill to a neighboring waste authority, a move to shore up expenses and pursue expansion as the facility has reportedly been operating at a loss.
Candler County, Georgia, is also struggling with costs associated with closing its landfill. A fact sheet published by the county warned it has set aside less than half the total price tag for closure, and said associated costs were rising due to inflation faster than the county could save. Nevertheless, commissioners recently voted down a proposal to expand the landfill and reduce costs advocated by hauler Atlantic Waste Services.
Meanwhile, private companies, including Republic Services and WM, continue to pursue expansions of their own landfills Here's a selection of updates from landfills around the country:
Republic Services receives approval to expand Wayne Disposal site
A Republic Services subsidiary is set to receive approval from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to expand the Wayne Disposal hazardous waste landfill in Van Buren Township, the Detroit Free Press reported. The facility's permit has been up for renewal, and the landfill has been the subject of opposition and lawsuits.
The expansion would grow the facility's capacity by about 24%. It would add more than 5 million cubic yards of space, and includes a vertical expansion that previously wasn't allowed due to a now-closed airport runway. It would also add a container storage area which could accept untreated hazardous waste, polychlorinated biphenyl waste, or technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material.
Republic Services acquired the landfill through its acquisition of US Ecology in 2022. The landfill is currently operating under an expired permit with the permission of regulators. The permit was issued in 2012 and expired in 2022.
In 2024, a group of towns sued Republic Services over its plans to accept waste from a former Manhattan Project site in New York, which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in the process of cleaning up. Last year, the Army Corps opted to divert the waste to a Texas site instead. The facility also received some waste from cleanup of the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment in 2023, but those shipments were halted after public outcry.
But the issue drew increased attention to the Wayne Disposal site. The expansion drew about 250 public comments, many from residents opposing the landfill and concerned about the possibility of additional hazardous waste getting trucked through their communities.
In a statement to the Free Press, a Republic official said the landfill operator is “committed to responsible operations and environmental stewardship."
Candler County, Georgia, will continue with landfill closure to cut costs
Candler County officials will no longer move forward with plans to expand a 20-acre landfill in Metter, Georgia.
Instead, county commissioners decided at a Jan. 22 meeting to continue with the planned closure of the site, which will cost about $4.5 million to close, WTOC reported. Moving forward with the closure now would help avoid raising related taxes and fees down the road, helping to avoid making the closure more expensive than necessary, officials said.
The decision comes a few weeks after the Board of County Commissioners voted not to transfer operations of the site to the county’s Solid Waste Management Authority. That move would have allowed hauler Atlantic Waste Services to turn the landfill site into a regional disposal center for 14 nearby communities.
Atlantic Waste officials said the expansion would have extended the landfill site by about 25 years. The Candler County Board of Commissioners told residents in a Dec. 5 Facebook post that the expansion could generate “substantial revenue, not derived from property taxes,” of about $50 million over 25 to 30 years.
“Our county is facing challenges with growth and service needs that growth brings. This project could help provide needed resources to reduce the tax burden of our property owners and allow our county to continue to provide landfill services to businesses and residents,” commissioners wrote.
Yet more than 100 residents at a Jan. 5 commissioners meeting spoke out against the proposal, raising concerns about possible increases in truck traffic and pollution, the Savannah Morning News reported.
County officials first announced the landfill’s closure last summer and had originally set an Oct. 1, 2025, closing date. As of the end of January, the site is still open for local waste but no longer accepts commercial waste. That’s in part because the county has not yet raised the money needed to close the site, Savannah Morning News reported. Atlantic Waste will reportedly continue to haul residential waste about 60 miles away to the Superior Landfill and Recycling Center in Savannah.
The county originally decided to close the landfill because population growth in the region has accelerated the estimated rate by which the landfill is expected to fill to capacity. Candler County has set aside $2.1 million for closure and has been saving $80,000 to $150,000 annually, but those annual contributions have not kept up with inflation. Reducing operations and associated costs at the landfill now will help the county bridge that gap, according to a fact sheet.
Other landfill news
- Lycoming County, Pennsylvania has hired the solid waste authority from neighboring Clinton County to manage its landfill. The publicly owned Lycoming County Landfill has about eight years of capacity left and is $27 million in debt. The authority is taking early steps to explore an expansion. (Williamsport Sun-Gazette and NorthcentralPA.com)
- The Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency is exploring changes to its governance structure that would enable the pursuit of a landfill expansion. The authority could adopt a host fee structure to reimburse Marion County, Iowa, which hosts the publicly owned landfill. (KCRG and The Gazette)
- Republic Services is extending the life of its Modern Landfill in York County, Pennsylvania, by reducing the amount of waste it receives and reopening closed cells that have settled. Republic had previously filed plans for an expansion of the facility. (York Dispatch)
- The Horry County Solid Waste Authority is considering a landfill expansion that would fill wetlands in South Carolina, prompting pushback on environmental grounds. The authority's application, which is currently being reviewed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, seeks a 15-year permit to construct three new cells, two of which would handle C&D debris and one of which would handle MSW, providing a total capacity of 23.4 million tons. (The Post and Courier)
- WM is proposing to expand its Pine Tree Acres Landfill in Lenox Township, Michigan, by about 25%. The 236-acre proposal has drawn opposition from neighboring residents; local communities still must consider the proposal. (WXYZ)
