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Kenai Peninsula mayor outlines municipal solid‑waste overhaul and landfill projects, including leachate evaporator funding
Summary
Mayor Michicky updated the assembly on solid‑waste planning: a $580,000 leachate evaporator ordinance was introduced; the borough is procuring a baler, identifying storage at the Baylor building, evaluating recycling partners and hiring a new solid‑waste ops manager.
Mayor Michicky told the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on Oct. 28 that the borough is actively retooling its municipal solid‑waste program and is advancing several projects intended to improve recycling, reduce landfill impacts and manage leachate.
In committee earlier in the day, Finance Committee members introduced Ordinance 2025-19-17, which appropriates approximately $580,000 for the Central Peninsula landfill leachate evaporator project, covering control systems, piping and related in‑building equipment; the item was placed on the consent agenda with a scheduled public hearing on Nov. 18. Mayor Michicky said the evaporator is expensive and described an injection well as the EPA‑preferred method for leachate disposal but said the evaporator would serve as a fallback.
The mayor said the borough has received quotes and insurance information from a contractor for a baler, identified interim storage space at the Baylor building (with power nearby) that should be available by mid‑November, and set RFP timelines for redesign of the Baylor building. Invitations for bids on the old Baylor demo are due Nov. 4, and the RFP for Baylor building redesign was to be released by Oct. 30 with a 90‑day turnaround.
Michicky said the borough is exploring recycling partnerships (including a conversation with Valley Recycling and Alaska Plastics Recovery), evaluating a potential statewide municipal solid‑waste cooperative, investigating tire‑shredding and shipping options, and has hired a new solid‑waste operations manager, Eric Lurbig. He said the ultimate goal is an efficient municipal solid‑waste system that protects landfill space and maximizes economically feasible recycling.
The mayor also described community outreach efforts and coordination with grant opportunities to support trail and walkability projects in Cooper Landing and other local initiatives related to reuse and materials recovery.
Sources: Finance Committee report and mayor’s remarks to the assembly at the Oct. 28 meeting.
