County commissioner pitches local landfill option; council hears RFP and liability concerns

County Commissioner Kevin Jensen presented a vision for a local approach to handling construction and demolition debris, asking whether the Green River City Council would be interested in exploring a municipal option that could use TRT-funded road-department staff to manage and bury nuisance debris and dilapidated structures.

Jensen said the idea grew from conversations about TRT-funded road personnel stationed in Green River and a desire to provide local options for removing hazardous debris and derelict buildings. “I just wanted to kinda come present an idea and see if there's interest from the city, about potential, landfill and trying to help out there,” he said.

Council and public responses emphasized there are several alternatives and unanswered questions. Staff noted an RFP for a private operator is active and has already attracted respondents; possible alternatives discussed included shipping debris by rail from a local pad, using private construction-debris landfills farther down the highway, or establishing a limited local pad near the Amtrak area or off Highway 50. No cost estimates or formal agreements were presented.

Public commenters warned about the long-term liability of a landfill in city limits. One resident said, “dumps now are a forever thing, forever,” and urged the council to pursue robust written agreements (MOUs) with the county to ensure perpetual maintenance and to weigh shipping or private alternatives.

Outcome: no decision was taken. Council members asked staff to continue evaluating RFP responses and to return with more specific cost and operational information before committing to any municipal landfill plan.