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Riverview council presses for study session on PFAS leachate plan as staff weighs bond and disposal costs
Summary
City staff and landfill consultants described leachate-treatment testing for PFAS that would rely on granular activated carbon, sand filters and resins and said the construction and disposal costs are likely to be funded by bonding; council members requested a dedicated study session and more information before approving financing.
City staff and landfill consultants briefed the Riverview City Council on proposed leachate-treatment options to meet emerging PFAS and PFOA permit limits and discussed funding mechanisms, including a bond to cover construction and operations.
At the meeting staff explained the current technical approach under study: a system using granular activated carbon, sand pre-filtration and ion-exchange resins to reduce PFAS and PFOA in leachate and condensate. Staff said pilot testing is underway using condensate from the new RNG plant and that the selected contractor will be responsible for meeting permit limits during a guaranteed operations period.
Why it matters: PFAS and PFOA are subject to tightening regulatory limits. Landfills and wastewater systems face both treatment costs and potential fines if permit limits are not met. Council members expressed urgency to resolve costs and liability while seeking alternatives to a straight bond-financing approach.
Council members asked for clarity on disposal and hauling costs for loaded carbon/media. Staff said early estimates for hauling and disposal of spent media are a small fraction of operating costs—“on the order of 10%,”—but that the city is awaiting updated testing results to refine cost estimates. Staff told the council the project will be brought to bonding as a single, maximum-cost contract so the contractor bears design/performance risk once contracted.
Several council members pressed for additional review and a public study session before any bond authorization. One councilmember said they would not vote for a multi‑million-dollar bond until satisfied with the technical, financial and legal information. Staff committed to a July study session (design-phase update at roughly 20–30% design) to provide drawings, pilot-test results and more detailed cost estimates.
Council discussion also raised legal and funding questions: whether manufacturers of PFAS-containing products or other parties might be pursued for cost recovery, and whether state or federal funding opportunities exist. Staff said they will consult with legal counsel and pursue available grants or other funding but noted that the near-term certainty for capital funding is likely a bond.
No formal vote was taken. Council members directed staff to compile the outstanding technical and financial questions and return with supporting documents in a study-session format before any bonding decision.
