Taos presenters urge starting municipal composting now using biosolids and landfill wood chips

Jennifer Paris, a Taos resident who has written USDA and other solid-waste grants for the county, told the Town Council workshop on July 21 that the Taos Regional Landfill already has the materials and some staff experience to begin municipal composting.

Paris told council members she believes the town can start composting using the landfill's stockpiles of wood chips plus biosolids delivered from the wastewater treatment plant. "My ask is that we start with what we have. Biosolids and wood chips would be the main ingredients in a high quality compost recipe," Paris said. She estimated the wastewater plant sends about 50 tons a week of sludge and said pilot piles typically take about four to five months to mature.

The proposal would use a windrow method Paris recommended for Taos because of its balance of cost, equipment needs and final product; she described other options as well (in-vessel, aerated static piles, hot composting) and said equipment needs to begin could be “$10,000 to $15,000 at the outside,” including a screen and chipper. Paris said composting could cut landfill volume — she cited EPA-based estimates that roughly 45–50% of landfill inputs are organic — and produce a saleable soil amendment that contractors and public works might use. "We have to start slow, but it's totally doable," she said.

Why it matters: The concept ties to an $8 million capital outlay allocation linked to the Taos "clean spaces, strong communities" project but, council members and staff noted, the grant agreement has not yet been accepted by the town. The landfill board is the authorizing body for new projects at the landfill; Council members said the working group that secured the capital outlay grant should hand off implementation discussions to the landfill board and its members.

Council response and next steps

Mayor Pro Tem Fambro and several council members praised the presentation and asked operational questions. Councilor Ortega called the 50 tons-per-week figure "astonishing" and asked staff about operations and staffing logistics. Paris and other staff present said the town already has employees with compost training, and the wastewater treatment operator has two decades of composting experience; Paris also said a 2,000‑gallon water truck at the landfill could be repaired for operational needs. Legal counsel advised that Paris may present ideas to the landfill board even if she later responds to an RFP, provided she discloses that interest.

Council and staff described a near-term path: share Paris’s slide materials with the existing working group and the landfill board, check the pending grant agreement, and identify small pilot spending that would not conflict with the eventual capital grant terms. Council members discussed fronting modest town funds to pilot operations so planning does not wait until spring. Several council members asked the landfill board and town manager to report back on operational capacity (water truck status, staff availability, equipment needs) before any formal commitment.

What was not decided

No formal council action or vote to start composting was taken at the meeting. The landfill board controls projects at the landfill; town staff told the council the grant agreement for the $8 million allocation had not been finalized or accepted as of the workshop.

Community context and limitations

Paris cited USDA and EPA research and told council that municipalities such as Los Alamos and Albuquerque have composted biosolids to produce home-and-garden products in compliance with federal and state rules. She also warned that food-waste collection logistics are much more complex than using biosolids already delivered to the landfill, requiring training, separate transport and de‑packaging steps.

The council directed staff to share Paris’s materials with the working group and landfill board and to return with operational clarifications; the landfill board will be asked to advise on whether the town can pilot composting without jeopardizing the pending capital grant.

Ending

Staff said the working group would meet before the landfill board’s next meeting and that the landfill board will take primary responsibility for planning the large capital project once the grant agreement is in hand. Paris said she is willing to help the town in an informational capacity and clarified she does not intend to be paid for the advocacy presentation at this time.