County and contractor face transfer-station leachate and construction issues; DEQ correspondence prompts enforcement questions

Building and grounds staff updated the Board on ongoing operational and construction issues at the Valley County transfer station and recycling/transfer facility.

Staff reported they had received a letter from Idaho DEQ after a recent site walkthrough. The DEQ correspondence highlighted concerns about drainage and the transfer pad. Building and grounds staff said the facility operator (Lakeshore, the county's hauling/operations contractor) is handling on-floor leachate by mixing it with the solid waste on the tipping floor and loading it into trucks; engineers and the operator told county staff that the facility is licensed for solid waste rather than liquid waste and that the current method is consistent with that licensing approach. Staff also said Lakeshore had added personnel and was managing daily operations to reduce run-off.

Commissioners and staff discussed practical fixes, including the site's slab design and operational controls (keeping trucks and tipping activity inside the building, additional cleanups after loads, and a speed bump/containment pad at the exit). Staff noted they had photographs of contaminated liquid leaving the facility and have been working with the operator to ensure dump operations occur on the interior tipping floor rather than outside.

Separately, buildings-and-grounds staff told commissioners about an electrical change order tied to the new transfer-site construction. Staff said the original engineering allowance included $30,000 for electrical work but contractors submitted a change-order estimate of about $79,000 for additional electrical upgrades (panel moves, conduit repairs, exterior lighting, heater circuits and other corrective items staff said were exposed during construction). Commissioners asked staff to confirm the change order with the design engineer before authorizing procurement so that the engineer signs off on the scope and to avoid later contract disputes. Staff said the contractor needs to order long-lead electrical materials so the county requested expedited review.

Why it matters: Transfer-station operations affect county waste flows and contractor costs. DEQ correspondence creates regulatory risk until staff demonstrates the facility meets applicable solid-waste licensing and containment expectations. The electrical work, if approved, will add material cost beyond the original allowance and affect the project schedule going into winter.

Next steps: Staff will (1) ask the engineer to provide a formal breakout of what the original $30,000 allowance covered and to sign off on any additional electrical scope, (2) continue operational oversight to ensure tipping occurs on the interior slab and to reduce outside flow, (3) coordinate with the operator to correct practices that produce visible run-off, and (4) bring finalized change-order documentation to the board for approval.