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Solid waste superintendent says Phase 4 landfill opens this year, flags new DES disposal fee and recycling cost risk
Summary
Solid waste superintendent Jeff LaFleur told the Nashua Board of Aldermen that Phase 4 of the city landfill will open this year, providing roughly 40 years of airspace, but warned a new DES disposal fee and volatile recycling markets create budgetary pressure.
Jeff LaFleur, superintendent of solid waste, told the Nashua Board of Aldermen that the city expects to open Phase 4 of its landfill this year and that the expansion will provide "about 40 plus years of airspace." He said the project capped a seven-year effort and that work includes construction of a setback barrier wall required by DES permitting.
LaFleur flagged a recent state cost change and budget implications. "This is our $3.50 per ton charge that DES is making us budget for," he said, and said he had budgeted roughly $280,000 to capture the charge. He described that amount as recoverable in part through user fees but asked the board to budget for the cost in the interim.
Why it matters: the Phase 4 opening extends landfill capacity for decades but comes with new operating and capital costs that must be covered by user fees, commercial customers or the general fund. LaFleur said he has also budgeted for an access road to the Phase 4 area to improve emergency response and for ongoing gas-collection and groundwater-monitoring work required by environmental permits.
LaFleur also addressed revenue and recycling trends. He said the city sells refuse-disposal stickers for $5 and moves about 14,000 a year, producing roughly $75,000 in revenue recorded in the general fund. On recyclables, he said the department receives a fluctuating return from a private MRF and that the realized value has trended down; "right now, we're around a $100 a ton," he said, warning that the glass stream and market arrangements currently offset costs but that funding could be tight if those sources change.
Questions from aldermen focused on capacity and finances. In response to a council question about remaining landfill space, LaFleur said "with the opening of our new, phase 4 landfill, we have about 40 plus years of airspace." On cost recovery he said he had run capacity and tonnage calculations and was confident the fee calculations would be adequate under typical volumes.
The board did not vote on new solid-waste ordinances during the meeting; LaFleur asked only for budget appropriations and capital planning guidance. The department reported a vacancy for an equipment operator who works at the landfill and said filling that position is necessary for permit compliance.
