Kootenai County Solid Waste told commissioners on Jan. 6 that landfill construction, capping plans and operational metrics were progressing.

Director John Phillips said Landfill Phase E3, which went to bid in December 2023, was completed by contractor Celland and final payment was made in November 2025. Phillips said the new cell is ready for use and will extend the landfill’s service life.

Separately, Phillips outlined an upcoming capping project to close older landfill areas before filling the new cell. The county signed a professional services agreement with Parametrix Engineering on 08/18/2025 (per the transcript) for design and construction oversight of a VersaCap-style cap; Parametrix was reported to be finalizing the design and preparing bid documents for construction in the fiscal year.

On daily operations, Phillips reported municipal solid waste deliveries averaging about 650–700 tons per day, six days a week, and said crews have prioritized intermediate cover placement, litter cleanup and stormwater/erosion control; he noted stormwater quality leaving the site has met requirements. Landfill tonnage for 2025 was about 2.5% higher than in 2024. Phillips said approximately 6,348 tons were hauled directly to the landfill—bypassing transfer stations—largely from large construction projects.

On landfill gas, Phillips said the collection system is functioning well; the county is collecting about 1,430 standard cubic feet per minute, of which roughly 1,000 scfm is typically used by the gas-to-energy plant to generate electricity and the balance is combusted in flares. He noted the company that owns the energy plant, identified in the meeting as KRE, had previously proposed opening the contract for another engine but there was no new information to report.

Why it matters: Completion of Phase E3 and planned capping reduce exposed areas, lower fugitive gas and leachate risk, and increase landfill capacity. The tonnage and gas-collection data bear on operational planning and future contracting for energy recovery.

Next steps: Parametrix is expected to advertise capping construction documents when designs are complete; staff will keep commissioners updated on procurement and schedule.