Committee hears landfill audit: leachate fluctuation, erosion and missing stormwater maintenance agreement

The Muskego City landfill standing committee reviewed its annual audit summary and a quarterly update at the April 13 meeting, where staff and members highlighted three continuing issues and several operational updates.

The presenter said the annual report is eight pages and identified three recurring concerns: fluctuating leachate depths in two monitoring sumps (the presenter noted the statute uses the term “average” without specifying the averaging period, creating interpretive wiggle room); ongoing erosion on the north face of Phase 4 where vehicle traffic accelerates wear; and the landfill’s failure to deliver a formal stormwater maintenance agreement to the city, which remains outstanding.

In the quarterly briefing staff reported 13 audits since the previous meeting. Documentation for Phase 7 northwest was completed after a failed geotextile (described as a bad batch) was corrected, and crews will place a protective fluff layer and bring a replacement compactor online by month’s end. The gas-collection system performed well after changing filter media, and municipal solid waste intake has been running about 1,500–1,900 tons per day. Well testing is planned for fall 2026.

Committee members asked questions and accepted the reports; staff noted they have shared documentation digitally with city staff and will deliver a DVD to the library. No new enforcement actions or contract changes were recorded at the meeting; the missing stormwater maintenance agreement was described as a recurring annual note rather than a recent enforcement step.

The committee did not vote on any new compliance measures at the meeting; staff were asked to continue routine monitoring and to provide requested clarifications at future meetings.