Lake County weighs expanding landfill versus switching to a transfer station
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Summary
County staff outlined two paths for the Lake County Landfill: build a new lined cell (county estimate cited $3.6M) to extend on‑site disposal for decades, or convert to a transfer station and truck waste to regional landfills (estimates vary $2M–$10M). Commissioners asked staff to return with detailed 30–50 year cost scenarios and diversion options.
Michael Erwin, the county’s public works director, briefed the Lake County Board of County Commissioners on March 24 about the landfill’s remaining capacity and the tradeoffs between expanding the county landfill and converting to a transfer station. Erwin said the county currently has roughly 217,000 cubic yards of airspace remaining and cited recent estimates of annual intake of about 28,000 cubic yards (about 8,500 tons), which he said equates to roughly six to seven years of remaining capacity at current rates. "If we go this number here is a little bit off... we're looking at about 28,000 cubic yards a year right now," Erwin said, summarizing engineer data.
Erwin presented capital and operating figures for a new lined cell and for transfer options. For the new cell he listed design (~$16,500), earthwork (the presentation cited a figure of about $22,500,000 in one line and a total listed as $3,600,000 in another, which staff noted came from different sources/estimates), a geosynthetic liner (~$989,000), surveying (~$8,000) and construction quality assurance (~$52,000). He also reviewed the county’s landfill financial assurance and closure requirement changes from CDPHE: the closure funding requirement moved from an earlier $2.1 million estimate (2022) to about $2.7–$2.8 million after inflation adjustments. Erwin said the county currently has "$1,400,000 and 443 in the landfill fund itself," an amount he presented as the available closure/reserve cash on hand.
On the alternative, Erwin described transfer stations and used examples to show they can range from roughly $100,000 for a very small facility to $10,000,000 for a larger complex; he explained operational elements such as compactor trenches and the need for CUP and mining/zoning approvals. He also noted regional haul distances (roughly 49 miles one way to some regional landfills) and the resulting round‑trip time and hauling costs. Commissioners raised concerns about illegal roadside dumping if access or cost barriers increase under a transfer model.
Several commissioners emphasized diversion as a key strategy regardless of the chosen physical option. One commissioner cited EPA national waste composition figures — food (about 21%), paper and paperboard (23%), plastics (12%) — and urged county investment in diversion, composting, or processing that would reduce landfill fill rates. Erwin cautioned that Lake County’s high elevation and winter climate present barriers to some composting technologies but noted grant programs and state technical assistance (C3) could help explore feasible solutions.
Regulatory risk figured heavily in the discussion: Erwin said Reg 31 (potential methane/emissions rules) could require more extensive capping and that the state has signaled possible future regulation that could raise closure/capping costs (one commissioner referenced a $10,000,000 estimate for small landfills under some Reg 31 scenarios). Commissioners asked for clear, comparative scenarios showing lifecycle capital, operating, hauling, and closure costs under (a) continued on‑site expansion, (b) conversion to a transfer station, and (c) hybrid approaches that combine modest expansion with stronger diversion programs.
Action and next steps: Commissioners directed staff to produce side‑by‑side financial and operational scenarios (30–50 year horizon, with sensitivity to Reg 31 changes and capping costs), and to identify available grants and loan options. Erwin said some earthwork could be done in‑house to lower contractor costs and that tree removal and early staging could start before major contracting. The board did not take a vote or make a formal decision during the work session; they requested the requested analyses return for an upcoming meeting.
