Brandy Ward, Solid Waste staff for Jefferson County, told commissioners that the county’s operation-plan recertification for the Circular Lute Landfill was not approved by the health department and that submitted comments must be addressed before resubmission.

"The email says that it will serve as notification that your operation plan recertification is not approved at this time," Ward said, and added that the county will need to respond to the items in the review and run another 28‑day public comment period.

Ward described a mix of technical and documentation issues flagged in the review. She said the state agency (referred to in the transcript as EQ/DEQ) appears to be transitioning approval authority away from the health department and that reviewers raised questions about runoff/run‑off controls, whether certain bulky materials (trees and concrete) must be covered daily rather than monthly, missing plan sections in the table of contents, and whether the site’s certified scale was clearly documented. Ward said she had tried to reach the DEQ inspector assigned to the county and that the named contact, John Schroeder, is new and often needs to escalate questions to supervisors, causing delays.

Ward said the county may seek assistance from outside consultants experienced with landfill closure and permitting — she named an industry consultant the board has used previously — and will work through revisions before resubmitting to avoid multiple costly public‑notice cycles. She also said county staff would consult other nearby counties that operate similar compost and bulky‑waste processes to see how they document those practices.

No action was required from the board at the meeting; Ward said she would continue communications with DEQ, collect the missing documentation, and update the board when she has clearer instructions or a timeline for the next submission.