Elkhart County reviews multimillion‑dollar landfill expansion bids, aims to capture methane for sale
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Summary
County commissioners received competing bids for expansion of landfill cells F‑1, F‑2 and PB‑7 and for a pipeline upgrade to the landfill gas control system aimed at increasing gas capture for sale to an RNG plant; staff were directed to review bids and return with recommendations.
Elkhart County commissioners on Jan. 12 received multiple bids to expand landfill cells and to upgrade the county’s landfill gas control system, steps county staff say are intended to increase gas capture and generate revenue from methane sold to a renewable natural gas (RNG) facility.
John Bowers, director of solid waste, read the bids for combined cell expansion items F‑1, F‑2 and PB‑7 and told commissioners the work was bid both individually and as a package to allow budgetary evaluation. He reported bids including Miller Brothers Construction at $10,261,236.48, Ryan Incorporated at $10,090,012.00 and E & E Excavating at $6,691,490.00. Bowers said the project was bid on a two‑year schedule and that, if done as a single cell, F‑1 could be available by Christmas 2026.
Bowers also described a proposed upgrade to the landfill’s gas control system (GCCS). "The gas control system is drawing the methane gas out of the trash," he said, and the county plans to replace header piping to increase throughput to an RNG plant. "The candle will be there, but it won't be lit," he said of the bypass flare, explaining the upgrade would reduce routine flaring and allow the county to collect royalties or revenue for gas delivered.
Bids for the GCCS header pipe improvement ranged in the record presented from about $1.29 million (Blue Flame Crew at $1,287,065.00) to roughly $2.34 million (SCS Field Services at $2,338,400.00); other bids included figures reported for Miller Brothers Construction and Tetra Tech EC. The board voted unanimously to accept both the cell expansion and GCCS bids for staff review and to return with a recommendation.
What happened next
Commissioners did not award contracts at the Jan. 12 meeting; instead they directed staff to review the submitted bids, verify the scope and pricing, and bring back a formal recommendation. County staff identified improved gas capture and potential revenue from the RNG plant as driving factors behind the GCCS upgrade.
Why it matters
The projects combine large capital spending with an anticipated revenue stream from captured methane, which could affect landfill operating budgets and future revenue forecasts. The timeline cited by staff — a two‑year project window and potential availability of F‑1 by Christmas 2026 — provides the public a sense of when construction and revenue changes might occur.
The next step
County staff will review bid documents, confirm scopes and return to the board with a recommendation on contractor selection and budgeting. The board’s action on Jan. 12 formally recorded the bids and approved the administrative step of staff review.
