Board authorizes letter supporting vertical expansion at McGill Road landfill

Jackson County commissioners on Sept. 23 authorized the board chair to sign a letter stating the county's position that filling the narrow service-road gaps between existing cells at the McGill Road landfill is part of a vertical expansion rather than a lateral expansion.

Drain Commissioner Schneider and local supervisor Dan Weimer explained the county’s position and said Waste Management filed a permit application for a vertical expansion because the landfill is projected to reach capacity within a year. Paul Masnick, representing Waste Management, attended the meeting.

According to presentations to the board, the proposed work would fill the spaces between three existing cells and then cap the entire area, producing a single, higher landfill area. State staff viewed filling the service-road areas as a lateral expansion; county staff and Waste Management requested state reconsideration via the deputy director. The deputy director indicated he would issue the permit if the county supplied a letter clarifying the county’s position that the minimal fills are necessary to achieve vertical expansion.

Commissioner Bair moved to authorize the chairman to sign the letter; Commissioners adopted the motion by roll call. The clerk recorded unanimous or near‑unanimous support and the chair signed the document thereafter.

County officials said the letter clarifies local intent and the county’s support for Waste Management’s application; the county did not change the solid‑waste plan itself but confirmed that vertical expansion at the existing site is the county’s preferred option rather than identifying a different site.

The board’s authorization is procedural: it directs the chair to sign a technical clarification to be provided to the state permitting authority; any construction or permit approval remains subject to state review and Waste Management’s compliance with permit conditions.