Landfill among disposal options for regional authority
Staff reporter
The Central Kansas Regional Solid Waste Authority (CKRSWA) discussed the possibility of locating a landfill within the region and other disposal alternatives Nov. 5 at its quarterly meeting at Hillsboro City Hall.
Marion, McPherson, and Harvey counties comprise the CKRSWA.
A landfill is one of the options presented in the CKRSWA plan that the authority is considering.
Currently the disposal option is the transfer station, with one located in each county. With the changes in the plan, it allows the authority to look at the possibility of identifying a compatible location for a landfill or another type of disposal method.
The CKRSWA plan calls for the authority to determine the project need for a publicly owned landfill by 2005. Construction would not commence and be completed until 2009, if that is the direction the authority decides to take.
To determine the need, two committees will be formed. CKRSWA Chairman Robert Carlson, McPherson County representative, asked for input from the authority. The decision was made to have an authority member chair the committee and involve the planning committees from the three counties.
Marion County planning committee members are Bruce Schroeder, Jack Regnier, Eileen Sieger, Harry Bennett, Glen Unrau, Tom Ahlstrom, and David Brazil, alternate.
David Brazil, Marion County, volunteered to serve as chairman of the landfill siting committee. Roy Patton, Harvey County, volunteered to serve as chairman of the alternative technology committee.
The committees will be organized and meetings scheduled after January. The committees will report to the authority at the next board meeting March 10.
In other business, the waste recycling and reduction committee presented a written report. The solid waste collected from the three counties netted a 16 percent recycling rate for the third quarter. Last year at this time, the recycling rate was 12 percent. The authority was pleased with the increase.
It was reported that Harvey County has a clothing category. Decision was made to add an "other" category to cover clothing and additional items not listed.
Each county was asked to contribute $2,000 to the CKRSWA fund to cover costs for 2004.
Carlson reported that additions and corrections were made to the management plan as instructed by Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The addendum will be submitted to KDHE.
The plan needs to be reviewed annually and updated every five years.
The authority approved expenditures of $432.66, leaving a balance of $962.11.
Patton reported that Harvey County is considering a new, indoor organic compost facility plan. The Harvey County Commission has approved the plan and it will be sent to KDHE for approval.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
The next quarterly meeting will be at 7 p.m. March 10, at Hillsboro City Hall, 120 E. Grand. The meeting is open to the public.
Marion County CKRSWA board members are David Brazil, county sanitarian, and Bob Hein, county commissioner.
