DNR denies landfill expansion

An expansion request by a Dexter, Mo., landfill, which takes garbage from the cities of Cape Girardeau and Jackson, has been denied by the state.

Dan Rigazio, Lemons Landfill general manager, said the company will reapply.

The company had applied last year for more than 33 acres to add to its 75 approved acres of fillable space.

The denial will not cause a crisis, according to Charlene Fitch, DNR permitting unit chief, because "landfills don't wait until the last minute to apply for a permit."

She said the state denies, on average, one permit a year. Lemons is one of 21 landfills operating throughout the state.

The decision on the expansion has no effect on four approved sections, called cells, scheduled for construction later this month, she said.

The 75-acre landfill has held a DNR permit since 1994.

The DNR has 12 months from the date of application to issue or deny a permit.

Fitch said the DNR review found an insufficient amount of clay liner present for building on the additional 33 acres. Landfills are built using two feet of compacted clay lined by a puncture-resistant plastic sheet as thick as a compact disc. The liners are intended to keep liquid from rotting garbage from seeping into groundwater, said Fitch, a mechanical engineer who has run the DNR's permitting unit for two years and was a solid waster review engineer for 16 years.

According to Rigazio, the landfill has 10 years of use available, despite an uptick in the amount of garbage after storms in February and March.

"The DNR said we could accept yard waste and appliances from flood-damaged locations, but people are so used to not being able to do that," he said.

He said when the daily quota of garbage is received, extra loads are sent to a landfill in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Jackson residents pay $1 to get a tag for each extra bag of trash beyond the three-bag limit. In February and March 2007, the city sold 1,035 tags. This year, the city sold 1,204 tags in February and March. Last year during that time, the city received 21 special pick-up requests; this year, 43 were billed.

"I had taken notes for 55 pickups," said Sharon Raines, Jackson public works customer service representative. "But if it's gone before we get there, there's no bill."

In Cape Girardeau, where public works remove an average 40 tons of trash a day, 178 special pick-up requests were made after 259 households experienced storm sewer backups.

Steve Cook, assistant director of public works, estimated those storm-related pickups amount to 89 tons of extra garbage.

"When you look at the great picture, it's a small percentage," he said.

Scott City's garbage is hauled to a DeSoto, Ill., landfill.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127

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