Appropriations panel hears Jackson County plan to take state landfill parcel for wastewater plant

House Bill 4135, presented to the House Appropriations Committee by Representative Leitner, would convey the state-owned portion of a landfill in Jackson County to the county so the county can manage ongoing environmental work and construct a wastewater-treatment facility on site.

Representative Leitner told the committee that the site is “a landfill” where the county already maintains leachate control and environmental monitoring. She said the county currently spends roughly $150,000 per year to maintain the property and transport leachate, and that the county has a plan to build a reverse-osmosis wastewater treatment plant powered by solar panels to process leachate on site.

A county representative told the committee the county borrowed about $2,100,000 two years ago to advance the project and that moving forward with construction is time-sensitive because of the loan and related financial rules. The county witness said the current practice is to transport about 10,000 gallons per week of leachate to Inkster at an annual cost the county estimated at just over $100,000; on-site treatment would eliminate those transport costs, the witness said.

When asked who would fund ongoing operations of the proposed plant, county officials said operations would be supported through the county general fund. Leitner and county representatives said conveying the state portion to the county would eliminate the recurring need for contractual arrangements to access and maintain the entire fenced landfill area, since the county already performs the environmental maintenance across the site.

No committee vote was taken. Committee members asked clarifying questions about responsibilities and financing; the hearing functioned as an informational discussion of the conveyance and the county’s planned capital project.