Elkhart County commissioners voted Nov. 24 to advertise bids for two landfill projects intended to improve landfill-gas capture and expand disposal capacity.

Jamie Tubasak, assistant director at the county landfill, told the board the gas collection and control system (GCCS) work would increase the vacuum header pipe size on the north and west sides from 10–12 inches to 18–24 inches “which will help better…it’ll help with the gas flow for the RNG facility.” The board moved, seconded and approved the advertisement of bids.

Tubasak said the cell expansion encompasses about 20 acres that will be bid in two 10-acre pieces “just to accommodate our potential budget constraints.” He said advertising will run the week of Nov. 24 through Dec. 1 in the Walker-Russo Tribune and Goshen News. A mandatory pre-bid meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 1 p.m., with bids to be opened Jan. 8 at 9 a.m.

Steve Olson, the county attorney, also asked the board to approve a license for gas-regulation station facilities that would pair with the landfill’s conversion system to turn landfill gas into beneficial-use products. Olson recommended that the license approval be “subject to final legal review” because the county was awaiting one additional comment from NIPSCO; the board approved the license subject to that legal review.

What it means: The pipe upgrades are intended to improve gas flow into a renewable natural gas (RNG) conversion system the county is developing; the cell expansion increases landfill capacity. The bidding steps begin the procurement timeline; actual construction and any related environmental reviews or permitting were not part of the Nov. 24 approvals.

Next steps: The county will publish the bid advertisements as described, hold the pre-bid meeting Dec. 16 and open bids Jan. 8. The gas-regulation license will proceed after final legal review and resolution of NIPSCO’s comment, according to county counsel.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this article are those who spoke in the meeting record and are explicitly named there.