BOZEMAN, Mont. – The Logan Landfill in Three Forks is constructing a new 10-acre “cell” which will be filled with waste over the next seven to eight years.
Cells are holes dug by landfills to store massive amounts of solid waste for up to ten years. Currently, the Logan Landfill is lining a new cell that will be ready for use at the beginning of 2019.
“It is going to be a critical piece of infrastructure to accommodate for the growth in the increase in waste volumes and the people moving into Gallatin County,” said Logan Landfill District Manager Jim Simon.
Five years ago the landfill collected an average of about 100,000 tons of waste a year but now the intake is closer to 150,000 tons.
“This is a very, very important project for us because without an additional cell to grow into, we would have been filled up and that would be the end of the landfill,” said Gallatin County Commissioner Steve White.
The overall cost of putting in the cell will be $1.5 million, which will be paid for by what is called a tipping fee.
“The landfill is not supported by any taxes. Taxpayers in Gallatin County and even the other counties that would use it, there is not taxpayer dollars involved. When you go across the scale, the money collected from the scale house is what is used to operate the landfill,” said White.
The landfill is in the process of lining the cell with a rubber tarp to make sure no toxic material seeps into the groundwater.
The cell is projected to be finished in October but will not be available for use until early next year.
Story by Mederios Babb, MTN News
