In April 1992, after much discussion, the Cass County Environmental Control Agency purchased the Cass County Landfill property from a private company. The purchase put the Agency in control of our county’s needs.
The Cass County Environmental Control Agency is a 28E governmental entity that is made up of 2 representatives from the Cass County Board of Supervisors, 2 from the City of Atlantic and 1 from all other member cities in Cass County. The board consists of 11 members who share the responsibility in maintaining the daily operations of the landfill.
Prior to the purchase, the Agency had invested monies into the groundwater wells drilled on the property, engineering fees and other expenses related to the benefit of the Cass County public. They felt they wanted to protect their investment by controlling the future of the landfill for Cass County residents.
The Agency contracted for a short time with a private operator until employees could be hired and licensed to operate. The Cass County Engineer’s office played a key role in maintaining the administrative and engineering tasks required of the landfill.
At the time of the purchase, Eastern Pottawattamie County (Hancock Transfer Station – including Hancock, Oakland and Walnut) was transferring waste into the Cass County Landfill for disposal. They chose shortly after our purchase to transfer their materials to another facility. This decrease in waste transferred (approximately 7000 tons) into the Cass County Landfill left a major deficiency in our operating income. Tonnage fees were adjusted to offset the loss of revenue. Due to increased demands from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (including requirements for deposits of closure/post closure monies and implementation of recycling programs) over the early 90’s, fees were once again adjusted. Also at the time of the purchase, member cities and the county were paying a per capita fee to the landfill (city and county assessments - approximately $ 50,000 yearly). It was decided that the landfill needed to become self-sufficient and those per capita fees were ceased. The Cass County Landfill became totally reliant on fees charged for waste disposed. Since that time all operational funds have come from 100% user fees. There is no tax money subsidizing this operation. Fees once again in 1995 were adjusted, and after a 10 year freeze, were raised July 1, 2005.
Around the same time as the purchase of the landfill, the IDNR put into effect its waste abatement program. The DNR mandated all landfills to meet a 25% reduction goal in waste going into the landfill by 1995. This reduction was based on a base year of waste in 1988. They also mandated that all landfills reduce waste by 50% by 2000. Cass County has met the 25% reduction goals as mandated by IDNR but very few in the state met the 50% goal. Even though we continue to recycle more yearly, the formula that DNR calculates on is based on what is landfilled.
Because of this mandate, the Cass County Landfill started a very effective recycling program using monies from a grant received from IDNR in 1992. This program has continued to grow over the last 12 years. The Agency started their program placing 7 recycling boxes (collecting newspaper, metal, glass, and plastics) in the communities to provide the public a place to correctly dispose of recyclable materials. Another 5 boxes were placed for collection of cardboard material. A private company did some recycling processing in the area until 1995 along with what the Agency processed, but when that company closed its doors the Agency opened the Cass County Recycling Center on State St. in Atlantic. The Cass County Recycling Center relocated in 2002 when it combined with our new facility located at the landfill. Cass County Recycling currently has about 23 recycling boxes in operation. This includes boxes at the schools in our area. All of these recyling services, such as placing the boxes throughout the communities, and transferring them to the recycling center, are provided free of charge. Most of the towns in surrounding counties must pay for similar service.
Due to the need to update our facility (building and scale), conserve airspace, combine and expand operations and provide the best service to the community, plans were put together with the help of Barker Lemar Engineering to consider a balefill method of landfilling. Other options were reviewed, including building a transfer station, purchasing new heavy equipment, or maintaining the current operation.
Cass County Landfill is the first and only landfill in Iowa to bale solid waste at this time. Several years of studying other states balefill operations were done prior to the implementation of this plan.
Cass County Landfill staff acted as the General Contractor on this project that provided us with a 200’ x 80’ building, where not only solid waste was processed but also recyclables. This allowed us to combine our recycling facility in Atlantic with the operations at the landfill. Total cost for this new facility with building, scale, office and baler was around $ 900,000.
Solid waste is unloaded in the north end of the facility where it is baled and then transferred in bale form to the active working face of the landfill. The landfill still maintains an active construction demolition disposal area on the hill. Recyclable items are processed on the south end of our building using the same baler. The two ram baler compacts materials with around 3500 PSI of pressure. Density of bales calculates to about 1300 lbs per cu/yd compared to about 800 lbs per cu/yd for conventional landfilling (dozer compaction).
Cass County Landfill has an airspace analysis study done yearly using surveying techniques. This information is submitted to the IDNR for their review showing the expected life of a landfill at any given time. Prior to changing to the balefill method, Cass County Landfill had an expected life in current vertical expansion of 23 years. After 1 year of operation, the expected life was recalculated at 34 years in the same space. A very positive impact on the landfill.
Other positive impacts this type of landfilling has shown us:
• Better ability to monitor wastes
• Windblown litter is almost obsolete
• Weather factors do not affect operations
• User friendly environment
Since the opening of the balefill facility in 2002, several aspects of the operations have changed. Due to the constantly changing weather conditions in Iowa, the Landfill purchased a tractor to move the bales to the active working face of the landfill. This has proved to be a very valuable and versatile tool in our operations. Landfill employees also utilize the tractor to move soil for daily cover and stockpile.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources continues to regulate landfills across Iowa. These rules and regulations were recently reviewed and updated according to input from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Hence, Subtitle “D” regulations were required by federal guidelines to be implemented across Iowa. This regulation had a major impact across the state, closing down some facilities and requiring others to build a transfer station to handle the waste in their planning areas. Others, like Cass County, chose to comply with the newly updated regulations and continue to operate a landfill.
This compliance required the installation of a liner system and leachate collection system at the Cass County Landfill. Installation was required prior to a deadline established by the IDNR of October 1, 2007. The Environmental Board contracted to close portions of the landfill that would no longer be used in 2006. During the summer of 2007, the Cass County Environmental Control Agency board contracted to construct a Subtitle “D” cell and complete closure work on filled areas of the landfill. Cass County is and will continue to be Subtitle “D” compliant. Leachate waters that are collected in the waste water lagoon are transported to the Atlantic Wastewater Treatment plant for treatment. The Cass County Environmental Control Agency will continue with the important job of protecting our ground waters and will continue to strive to keep current with the regulations from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and federal rules handed down from the EPA.
Household hazardous waste had become a growing part of the daily solid waste received in our planning area. In the fall of 2005, the Cass County Landfill became a satellite location for disposal of general household hazardous waste with the issuance of a grant from the IDNR. This program became so popular that in the spring of 2008 another grant was written that expanded our program and the Cass County Regional Collection Center for household hazardous waste opened for business. Cass County partnered with Adair County Sanitary Landfill and the Guthrie County Transfer Station to collect these wastes on a regional basis. Cass County will act as the regional center while the other facilities will act as a satellite center with all materials being bulked for cost savings in disposal. This grant allowed the Cass County Landfill to place an addition onto our building for a processing center and Swap Shop. This program has been well received in this area.
Over the years, recycling has continued to boom. More recycling boxes were added to the county-wide program for the ease of use for the public. Marketing of the recyclable goods continues to be a large part of the operations, as materials are required to be processed and baled for cost effective shipping. Most recyclables are processed and sent to facilities for recycling within the State of Iowa. Some are shipped to more lucrative markets outside Iowa. The revenues earned from marketing these materials are applied back to the programs for future growth.
Cass County continues to be the only landfill in the State of Iowa permitted to operate as a balefill facility.
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