Future expansion of the Vilas County Highway G landfill will depend upon finding other properties to replace acreage removed from the county forest along with both DNR and county board approval.
At a meeting Monday, landfill community members were informed there are about 10 years left in the final cell and they need to seek additional land for future operations.
Erik Lietz of Ayers & Associates identified 71 acres directly to the west of the present property of which about 60 acres could be used. Vilas County would have to agree to petition the DNR to remove that acreage which in most cases is dependent upon finding like lands to enter into the county forest system.
Fifteen acres of the property would be licensed as a landfill at a time which would be extend landfill operations for about 80 years.
In other action, the purchase of four solar flares costing $15,000 for burning methane gas from the landfill was approved. The flare system consists of solar panels that charge a battery to produce a spark every second and ignite gas collected from a piping system. Finally, the DNR has given permission to recirculate up to 10,000 gallons of collected leachate a day, saving up to $750 a day in hauling and treatment costs.
