More steps taken in landfill closing process
Marion County Commission approved a contract with Geotechnical Services, Inc. of Wichita, for installation of gas monitoring wells and the purchase of a gas monitor to be used at the county's former landfill site.
Consultant Jack Chappelle of Engineering Solutions and Design, Inc. of Overland Park, was hired by the county to assist in the closing process of the former landfill which included the installation of gas and groundwater monitoring wells, and sampling from those wells.
The commission approved the installation Monday of five gas wells at $737.50 each or a total of $3,687.50. The engineer's estimate was $875 per well or a total of $4,375.
Chappelle said six companies had been contacted and GSI was the only that responded. Despite that, he recommended the commission approve the contract because it was a competitive bid.
A gas monitor was approved for $2,530 plus a datalogger for an additional $505 also was approved. The datalogger would record readings instead of manually writing information obtained from the meter.
Chappelle recommended the commission purchase the equipment from Mid-Continent Safety of Wichita, because the close proximity to Marion would be a benefit. Also the distributor is willing to provide free training.
Two estimates were acknowledged by Chappelle for groundwater well sampling but he recommended the commission table any decision until he obtained bids from two companies that are located closer to Marion County.
He said before water samples could be taken, water had to be purged from the wells which could result in no water available. If this should occur, the person doing the testing would have to return the next day or two to collect the sample and charge an extra mobilization fee. If the company was located closer to Marion then the two companies that submitted bids, transportation costs could be considerably less, Chappelle said.
The commission agreed and a decision was tabled until the next meeting.
Chappelle also reported he was to meet with McPherson Solid Waste Authority and could ask again about splitting the cost of a gas meter as previously discussed.