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The Larimer County
Solid Waste Task Force and
Solid Waste Advisory Group

Solid Waste Task Force
Solid Waste Task Force Recommendations
Solid Waste Advisory Group
Solid Waste Advisory Group Recommendations
Now what?

Background

Both the Solid Waste Task Force and the Solid Waste Advisory Group were formed to address a pressing issue: the limited lifespan of the Larimer County Landfill. If operations at the landfill continue as they are today (currently about 800 tons of trash are disposed of at the landfill every working day), the landfill's estimated remaining capacity will last us only another six to eight years.

The Solid Waste Task Force

In March of 1997, the County Commissioners established a Solid Waste Task Force whose purpose was to identify and evaluate potential options for the replacement of the Larimer County Landfill and to recommend a preferred option or options to the Board of County Commissioners.

Members of the task force were appointed from a pool of applicants and reflect the diverse geographical, demographic, technical and non-technical backgrounds of the citizens of Larimer County. Representatives from consulting groups, municipalities, agriculture, Colorado State University, trash haulers, Larimer County government, the Environmental Advisory Board, Sierra Club, industry, small business, Colorado Private Property Rights, and interested private citizens served on the task force.

Minutes of the Task Force meetings are available on line. The Task Force's by-laws are also available.

Task Force Recommendations

In February of 1999, the Task Force made its recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners, after which the Task Force was disbanded with thanks for its service. It recommended the following options for further evaluation:
  • Vertically expand the current landfill by increasing grades from 6 percent to 10 percent over the current landfill footprint. This will add another 61 feet to the landfill and provide another 18 years of life.
  • Find and purchase suitable land for future solid waste management activities.
  • Continue to evaluate associated solid waste issues, such as privatizing services; minimizing waste generation or diverting waste from the landfill; and finding alternate funding sources for solid waste programs (other than than landfill tipping fees).
  • Have the Board of County Commissioners recommend to the county's Open Lands Board that any property being considered for purchase near Loveland or Fort Collins be evaluated for use as a solid waste management site (for recycling, landfilling, composting or as a transfer station), in addition to being preserved as open space.

The Solid Waste Advisory Group

Then in May 1999, the Solid Waste Advisory Group was convened to further research the Task Force's recommendations. It's suggestions, which were presented to the county commissioners in January 2000, were to:
  • Proceed with the Task Force's recommendations of vertically expanding the existing landfill and pursuing the purchase of land suitable for future county solid waste management activities.
  • Research an alternative funding source, such as a tax or fee charged per county household and business for waste diversion and environmental protection programs. (Currently, solid waste management in Larimer County receives no tax money or general fund money. Rather, it is funded solely through fees charged for dumping trash at the landfill and transfer stations. Such revenues also subsidize the county's recycling center and hazardous waste program.)
  • Expand the county's recycling system, focusing on diverting yard trimmings and construction and demolition debris from the landfill, along with other expansion ideas. The group noted, however, that "until the alternative funding issue is successfully addressed, any expansion upon the county's current recycling system will be difficult to fund, and therefore unlikely to occur."
  • Discard the idea of privatizing the landfill, as research shows that privatization would be unlikely to reduce costs or improve services.

The Latest News

So what has the Natural Resource Department done since these all these recommendations? As of December 2000, we have:
  • Researched and determined several land areas within the county that meet all the criteria for siting a new landfill.
  • Contracted with an environmental consulting group to lay out plans for a vertical expansion, including a drawing of how the proposed expansion would look when complete.
  • Held several public meetings to obtain input on the possibility of a vertical expansion, as well as other options.
  • Set aside a portion of the money necessary for an expansion of the recycling center.
  • Conducted a public attitude survey to determine residents' awareness of and opinions on waste management issues.
  • Discussed with the district attorney the possibility of an "environmental fee" charged to Larimer County households and businesses to help fund recycling and other solid waste programs. (Such a fee would be considered a tax, subject to TABOR limitations, thus requiring public approval for implementation. The county commissioners chose not to pursue this option at this time.)
  • Begun a wood waste diversion program to determine the feasibility of methods to increase the diversion rate of this high-volume waste from the landfill.
Currently, the department director is exploring the notion that, with improved management and increased waste diversion techniques, the life of the existing landfill may be able to be extended another eight to 10 years (rather than the current estimate of six to eight years), without a vertical expansion. Then, at the end of this period, we could have a new landfill ready to go. Also, we would like to pursue the purchase of one site that has been chosen for a future landfill. And next year, we will begin plans for a recycling center expansion.

Many of these plans, however, are dependent upon the support of the new Board of County Commissioners, which takes office in January 2001.

Check this site often for updates; we'll keep you posted!

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