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Franklin County approves landfill expansion submission to KDHE and authorizes up to $43,000 in additional costs
Summary
County consultants told commissioners the proposed expansion would add roughly 58 acres and multiple new cells, increase stormwater controls and provide long-term disposal capacity; the board approved submitting the permit package to KDHE and authorized additional costs not to exceed $43,000 to finish the design and submittal work.
The Franklin County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 28 approved submission of a landfill-expansion modification package to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and authorized additional project funds not to exceed $43,000 to complete the work.
Susie McCart, lead project manager for SCS, and Tyler Warren, project manager and assistant project engineer, presented the expansion design and schedule. McCart said the existing landfill footprint is about 19.7 acres with three cells and that, at current acceptance rates, the county has roughly four to six years of permitted airspace remaining without expansion.
Tyler Warren described the proposed expansion: approximately 58 additional acres (bringing the total waste-disposal footprint to about 78 acres), a phased set of new cells (labeled 4 through 13), and three stormwater ponds sized per regulation; he said base grades maintain at least a five-foot groundwater separation as required by state rules. "With the expansion, the county would gain about 7.2 million cubic yards of airspace—based on current waste densities, that equates to many millions of tons of C&D material and, in our calculations, about 200 years or more of disposal capacity for that waste stream," Warren said.
SCS reviewed the permit schedule and expectations: the firm expects to submit the package to KDHE and anticipates a review period that typically runs about 180 days, including time for public notice and KDHE comment. Warren noted the exact KDHE notification radius would be taken from KDHE guidance and published materials.
On budget, consultants reported the project budget approved through December 2025 was approximately $291,000, with about $264,000 invoiced to date and roughly $27,000 remaining. Consultants estimated remaining tasks—including capex planning and borrow-soil evaluation—could cost between $50,000 and $70,000; the board was asked to authorize covering a shortfall up to an approximate $43,000 to reach project completion. The board approved submission and the additional cost authorization on a roll-call vote.
Next steps: county staff will sign and return the documents required for KDHE submittal, SCS will submit the plans, KDHE will review and publish a public-notice period, and consultants will return comments and schedule any follow-up required by KDHE.
