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Landfill expansion planning underway; solid waste committee recommends leasing heavy machinery
Summary
Parish landfill staff presented multi‑year airspace projections that show the need to permit new capacity within a decade; solid waste committee recommended leasing heavy equipment because harsh operating conditions shorten machinery life.
Sabine Parish staff told the police jury April 16 that current landfill airspace projections make permitting a new landfill expansion a multi-year project and that the solid waste committee recommends leasing heavy machinery rather than buying equipment outright.
Presenter Brett (solid waste consultant/staff) reviewed a multi-year projection showing current permitted capacity and forecasted fill rates. Brett said current permit capacity is roughly 9 million cubic yards and that historic fill rates have averaged about 4% annual growth; under baseline projections the existing permitted cell could approach capacity in the early-to-mid 2030s. Brett said permitting a new expansion could take at least five to six years and potentially longer due to geology studies, numerous borings (he estimated about 35–40 test borings), groundwater monitoring well spacing and extensive engineering work. He estimated preliminary geotechnical and permitting work could approach a quarter-million dollars or more.
Brett described the newly purchased adjacent acreage that could serve as the next expansion and said parish staff will begin geotechnical borings and site characterization and will coordinate early with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). He emphasized that permitting is a multi-step process that will require detailed subsurface work and long lead time.
On equipment, the solid waste committee recommended leasing heavy machinery (dozers, compactors and loaders) because landfill conditions are harsh and equipment life in that environment often is short. Committee members and staff said three-year leases with maintenance and replacement are common in other operations and could reduce repair bills and downtime. The jury approved moving forward with leasing arrangements to ensure dependable equipment and avoid large outlays and repair unpredictability.
Ending: Staff will continue permitting work for the expansion parcel, begin preliminary borings and monitoring wells as budgeting allows, and the landfill committee will implement a leasing strategy for heavy machinery.
