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Lincoln County explores modular biomass and waste-energy options to cut costly waste transport
Summary
County officials are studying modular biomass/waste-energy plants as a way to reduce long-haul waste transport costs and greenhouse impacts; the county recently completed a roughly $6 million ARPA-funded landfill expansion to maintain capacity.
County officials told visiting congressional staff that hauling solid waste from places such as Eureka to the regional landfill in Libby imposes large costs (about 70 miles one way) and that a feasibility study is underway to test modular biomass/waste-energy or waste-to-energy approaches.
Officials said a modular approach could avoid a single massive plant and allow scalable deployments closer to waste sources, potentially supplying local power, reducing transport costs and creating jobs. The study will feed a package for investors and potential developers that identifies material supply, costs and site requirements.
County staff also noted the county recently completed a multi‑million-dollar expansion of the landfill, funded in part by ARPA, to maintain capacity while longer-term options are assessed. The delegation offered to help identify federal programs that could support feasibility, siting, permitting and community facilities aspects of such projects.
Participants emphasized that private investment and reliable long-term feedstock agreements would be necessary for any plant, and that state and federal permitting and environmental review would shape project timelines and cost structures.
