Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste Landfill Expansion topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission recommends approval of Twin Enviro / Apex landfill expansion (Module 8) with conditions
Summary
Routt County Planning Commission recommended approval of an amendment to the landfill special use permit and certificate of designation to add Module 8 — a vertical and lateral expansion — subject to conditions addressing visual mitigation, stormwater controls, interim cover, and completion of state technical review.
The Routt County Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of Twin Enviro (now operated by Apex Waste Solutions) for an amendment to its special use permit and certificate of designation to permit construction of Module 8 — a vertical and lateral expansion of the Milner landfill footprint intended to extend facility life by several years.
Company representatives (Lacey Coop, general manager, and other Apex staff) described the company’s investments in recycling and composting infrastructure, and presented Module 8 as part of a strategy to extend the existing landfill’s usable life, reduce the need for a new landfill site, and capture economies of scale on diversion programs. Staff described the regulatory context: the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) reviews technical engineering design and operations plans (EDOP) while Routt County issues a certificate of designation and evaluates off-site impacts including visual impacts, traffic, stormwater and nuisance concerns.
Alan (county staff) explained that Module 8 requires borrow areas and added slope heights; CDPHE had not completed its technical review at the time of the hearing, and state recommendation is required before the Board of County Commissioners can act on the certificate of designation. Staff nevertheless brought the application forward to allow efficient sequencing given a short construction season and recommended approval with revised conditions. The principal concern discussed at length was visibility from Highway 40 and Milner and the potential for wind-blown litter; staff and the applicant described mitigation including depositing daily cover from north-to-south, interim cover and seeding within an established timeframe, use of alternative daily cover (tarps), creation of wind fences (backstop-style screens), and ongoing daily litter pickup.
County and company representatives said past state compliance advisories and consent orders have been resolved and that recent inspections showed recurring but manageable issues (stormwater controls, wind-blown trash and interim cover maintenance) that the applicant has addressed. Apex representatives said Module 8 would add roughly 50–60 feet of height in places and extend overall life to 7–11 years depending on diversion rates; post-closure contours would be revegetated into a rolling, vegetated hillside.
Commissioners discussed whether planning should require construction of a separate northern berm for visual mitigation (condition 26) or rely on operational controls and additional wind fences; several commissioners expressed the view that the operational approach (deposit north-to-south, allow interim cover and revegetation) is preferred to building berms that can impede safe landfill operations. Staff noted that CDPHE continued review of construction drawings and that the BCC cannot act on certificate of designation until the state indicates compliance. The Planning Commission recommended approval to the BCC with specified edits to conditions (weed plan deletion, owner name corrections, and EDOP date correction) and with the visual/operational conditions (including condition 26) retained for enforcement.
