AREA'S LANDFILLS DIMINISHING

There may be as few as four federal EPA-approved sanitary landfills operating in the Missouri Department of Natural Resource's 24-county Southeast Missouri region after April 9.

The landfills -- all operated by private waste-management firms -- are in Washington, Stoddard, Butler and Wayne counties.

After April 9, all other landfills in the region must be closed or modified to meet new and stricter EPA landfill operational guidelines and regulations.

"It's hard to say right now just how many landfills will be open after April 9," said Steve Jones of the Missouri Department of Natural Resource's solid-waste-management office in Jefferson City. "It's a big question mark. The decision will be up to each landfill operator to decide if they want to close their landfills or continue to operate them under Subtitle D requirements. Some of them may wait until the last minute."

The reason for the closings and uncertainty is Senate Bill 530, a 65-page amendment to the Missouri Solid-Waste-Management Law. It requires the state to reduce solid wastes by 40 percent by 1998.

The bill's Subtitle D also imposes stricter rules on the operation and closure of landfills, including construction of monitoring wells to check for ground-water contamination. The law requires that a rubber membrane be placed over the bottom of a landfill to capture leachate, which must be disposed of in a waste-water treatment system.

As a result of fewer landfills, most residents of Southeast Missouri will be paying more for solid-waste disposal.

Many of the almost 20 landfills that were in operation in the region a year ago were closed Oct. 9, 1993, when the new EPA landfill regulations were to become effective. However, the EPA and Missouri DNR gave extensions to several landfill operators to allow additional time for them to decide if they want to close or modify their landfills, and to make plans for the disposal of solid waste if they decided to close them.

Other landfills were given three-month extensions to remain open until January to receive flood debris from last year's Mississippi River flooding.

Following is a county-by-county status of solid-waste-management operations in the Southeast Missouri region:

CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY

The city of Cape Girardeau has been operating a solid-waste-transfer station for a number of years. Mary Ellen Klein, environmental services coordinator for the city, said the city landfill was closed several years ago, prior to the Oct. 9, 1993, deadline. However, the DNR granted the city permission to temporarily reopen the landfill to receive flood-damaged debris. "We closed the landfill in December," said Klein.

The Jackson city landfill is one of the landfills in the region granted an extension to operate until April 9. The Jackson Board of Aldermen is expected to award a contract this month to a private solid-waste-management firm, which will operate it on a long-term lease arrangement.

PERRY COUNTY

County Clerk Randy Taylor said the joint Perry County-city of Perryville landfill will close April 9. An application has been filed with the DNR to operate a solid-waste-transfer station.

STE. GENEVIEVE COUNTY

A private waste-management firm operates a solid-waste-transfer station in the county.

STODDARD COUNTY

The DNR said the old Lemmons landfill north of Dexter is still operating under a flood extension permit until April 9.

A permit for a new landfill on the east side of Highway 25 north of Dexter has been filed with the DNR by Allied Waste Management. DNR officials said a decision on the permit should come soon.

DNR officials said Sonny Gloss, who operates Sonny's Solid Waste Management, has filed an application with the DNR for a permit to open a landfill near Bell City in northeast Stoddard County. The DNR said processing of the application is nearing completion.

NEW MADRID COUNTY

The landfill is currently operating on a flood extension until April 9, and will be closed.

PEMISCOT COUNTY

The landfill is operating under a flood extension until April 9, and will be closed.

BUTLER COUNTY

The DNR said the Butler County landfill is now operating under Subtitle D regulations by Allied Waste Management.

RIPLEY COUNTY

The DNR said Allied Waste Management has filed an application to operate a solid-waste-transfer station in Doniphan.

WAYNE COUNTY

The landfill in Wayne County is temporarily closed to allow the owner, Allied Waste Management, to make modifications to meet Subtitle D requirements.

MADISON COUNTY

The Fredericktown landfill is operating on an extension until April 9. At that time it will be closed. An application is on file with the DNR to operate a solid-waste-transfer station.

HOWELL COUNTY

The West Plains landfill is closed. A permit has been received for a solid-waste-transfer station.

The Willow Springs city landfill has been granted an extension to operate until April 9.

The DNR said landfills in St. Francois County; Iron County, at Viburnum; and Dent County, at Salem are also closed.

Another unknown factor at this time is the role of the Region 8 Solid Waste Management District, one of a number of waste-management districts created in the state by Senate Bill 530. It requires each district to submit a plan to the DNR that will reduce by 40 percent the amount of solid waste placed in landfills by 1998.

Counties in the Region 8 district are Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Iron, Madison, Perry, Ste. Genevieve, and St. Francois.

The Region 8 plan is now under review by the DNR. Proposed short-term and intermediate alternatives in the plan center around the use of existing and proposed transfer stations throughout the district and the transfer of solid waste generated in the district to landfills outside the district.

This includes transfer of solid wastes to landfills in other waste-management districts of the state as well as across the Mississippi River into Illinois landfills.

Long-term alternatives of the plan include development and construction of a regional solid-waste material-recovery (recycling) center and a final disposal or processing facility for the residual solid waste. At this time member counties of the Region 8 district prefer a publicly-owned and -operated regional landfill.

A study prepared last year for the District 8 committee estimated that it would cost $4 million to $6 million to develop and up to $2 million annually to operate a regional landfill in the district. The study estimated the tipping fee for a publicly-owned landfill in the district could range from as low as $28.47 per ton to as high as $39.40 per ton.

The cost estimates do not include the cost of collecting and transporting solid waste from each municipality or county to the regional landfill.

Although most officials will not comment publicly, some say privately the new regulations and the higher cost for solid-waste pickup that will be passed on to residents may lead to more roadside trash dumping. One county official, who asked not to be identified, said, "We're already starting to see some of the impact of the landfill closings and higher cost of disposing of solid waste with more trash and debris being dumped alongside some of the rural roads in our county."