Dive Brief:
- Cowlitz County and Weyerhaeuser Co. (NYSE: WY) have completed a purchase deal for the Headquarters landfill in Washington State.
- County commissioners approved an agreement to acquire the landfill for around $17.9 million, down from the original purchase price of $19 million. The reduction came in exchange for accepting liability for hydrogen sulfide emissions at the landfill.
- The deal is expected to be finalized on March 12. On March 13, the county anticipates transporting waste to the site.
Dive Insight:
Cowlitz County has been trying for four years to gain control of the landfill, as the current county landfill has almost reached capacity. Officials estimate it will be cheaper to dispose trash at the Headquarters landfill rather than hauling the waste to an alternate landfill.
Weyerhaeuser, one of the world's largest owners of timberlands, has been looking to sell the landfill in order to focus on its core business. It will continue to deposit industrial waste at the site, but will cease bringing materials which emit hydrogen sulfide to the property.