Space at the Boone County Landfill is becoming an issue, Boone County Landfill Administrator John Roosa said. Slowing down the tons of solid waste taken in is the first step to slowing that process down.
With just over one million tons of available space, the landfill would reach capacity in 13 years. But recent diversion plans have officials hopeful they can extend the facility's life an additional 30 years.
The capacity concern is why Story County waste is no longer being accepted at the Boone County Landfill, and Ames is considering directing its trash elsewhere.
All construction and demolition waste from Story County is being redirected to Metro Waste Authority (MWA) in Des Moines. The Metro Park East Landfill began taking these materials on July 15.
"We're trying to protect our space and be here for as long as possible," Roosa said. "To preserve our life, we're diverting waste as much as possible."
Boone County hopes its landfill will stay operational for another 30 years thanks to similar waste diversion plans.
The City of Ames currently transports much of its solid waste to the Boone County Landfill but is exploring an opportunity to partner with MWA as first reported by the Ames Tribune at the June 11 Ames City Council meeting .
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How much space does Boone's landfill have left?
If the Boone County Landfill were to continue accepting waste as it did before its partial diversion of Story County solid waste, county engineers estimate it would reach capacity in 13 years.
The landfill has just shy of two million cubic yards of available space, which translates to about 1.2 million tons, Roosa said. Though the number seems large, he said available space will fill up fast given how much solid waste the landfill is receiving.
"We are currently putting in 93,000 to 95,000 tons of waste a year," Roosa said. "That 1.2 million will disappear quickly."
He said Boone County doesn't have a plan yet for when the landfill reaches capacity; its current focus is to slow its solid waste intake.
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How did Boone's landfill get so full?
Boone's landfill's primary service area includes all of Boone County, all of Green County except Jefferson, three small towns in Calhoun County, and Granger, and Woodward in Dallas County. The landfill's secondary service area includes all of Story County.
The landfill was Story County's backup provider until the county landfill closed in 1996. The land-locked Ames landfill couldn't expand past the surrounding railroad tracks, Skunk River, and private property, according to Ames Resource Recovery Superintendent Bill Schmidt.
"At the time we'd been in waste energy for 21 years," Schmidt said. "We needed a place for the material to go, and the landfill was full."
Ames transported a little more than 7,400 tons to the Boone County Landfill in 2023. Roosa said Boone County's landfill has had to take on significantly more waste from Story County than it used to.
"We've been taking a lot of Story County and Ames waste over the years, and it continues to grow," Roosa said "After their landfill closed all the waste has been coming to us, and it's filling us up too fast."
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Ames looking at new trash provider
An issue with the boilers at Ames' Resource Recovery plant has officials looking for a new trash provider and dump site.
Built in 1967 and 1982, respectively, Schmidt said the two boilers have limited life expectancy.
With Boone's landfill nearing capacity, Ames has looked at surrounding landfills, finding them "much larger" than what they are used to handling. This inspired the city to approach MWA about partnering for an organized collection system.
A collaboration between MWA and Ames would keep trash consolidation local and wouldn't require garbage trucks to leave the county.
City staff also recommended that the 50-year-old Arnold O. Chantland Resource Recovery Plant, be converted to a transfer station model where refuse and recyclable materials can be deposited, consolidated, and loaded for transportation all on-site.
Schmidt said Ames is only beginning a discussion with MWA, and no decision has been made.
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Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: The Boone County landfill is filling up fast, officials predict only 30 years til capacity
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