Assembly hears Kelly Toth’s plans for Anchorage solid-waste operations ahead of confirmation

Kelly Toth, nominee for Solid Waste Services director, told the Anchorage Assembly on Feb. 28 that she plans a year of action focused on leachate treatment, landfill gas capture and beneficial use, expanded recycling services and upgrades to aging infrastructure.

Toth described an array of projects already under way or planned for 2025, including pilot testing a leachate treatment system on-site, upgrades to gas collection and blowers, implementation of beneficial-use projects for landfill gas and a software replacement to improve customer-facing services. "This is the year of action," Toth said, summarizing the department's priorities.

The nominee noted the department opened a material-recovery facility last year and reported increased diversion: "we diverted over 650 tons of organics," Toth said, adding the facility was only open three days a week during that period. She also said the city reopened a wood lot that had been closed for two years and credited operations staff for nimble responses during recent windstorms.

Why it matters: Anchorage's landfill and diversion work intersect environmental compliance, neighborhood air and odor concerns, and city utility operations. Toth said Solid Waste Services (SWS) is operating under a compliance order by consent with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and is pursuing infrastructure and operational changes…