Larimer County, CO Moving Ahead with Republic Services on New Landfill North of Wellington

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): Facing a landfill that is nearing the end of its lifespan, Larimer County commissioners voted to begin negotiations with national trash hauler Republic Services to build and operate a new landfill in northern Larimer County near Wellington. The public-private partnership will help the county devote its time and resources to diverting more material from the solid waste stream, commissioners said in approving a nonbinding memorandum of understanding.

The county and Republic have agreed in principle on a goal of diverting 50% of waste from the landfill by 2030, according to the memorandum. Republic, which purchased locally owned Gallegos Sanitation in 2021, would assume all of the costs to design, build, fund, operate and eventually close the landfill at the end of its life — estimated to be about 100 years — and a central transfer station for a minimum of 20 years. It would split the costs with the county on a new recycling center.

The county would pay for all improvements to the site, including roads, and all county landfill employees would be offered jobs at Republic. Some municipal partners, including Fort Collins and Loveland, raised concerns about partially privatizing the landfill, fearing it would take away local control. Commissioner Kristin Stephens said that up until a couple years ago, the county intended to build and operate the new landfill. “Then landscape has changed a lot in the past two years,” she said. “We’re in an environment today where that doesn’t seem like it’s a good decision to make.”

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantagemag.com