Kansas County Seeks Buyer for C&D Landfill

Leavenworth County commissioners have initiated action to see if a potential buyer wants to take over the county's construction and demolition landfill.

The present operator, John Corpstein, said the expected costs for upgrading the facility to meet the state's new regulations was more expense than he wanted to bear.

"From the receipts, we can see it makes very little money," said Corpstein, who contracted with the county to operate it in September 1995. Over the past year, the county's records show the C&D landfill brought in $4,718. As of October, 1,462 tons of material had been hauled there in 2003.

Corpstein said he had to charge by the truckload, then use a formula to convert it to tonnage, because there are no scales at the landfill. 

Commissioners also clarified the tipping fee, which was increased from $2.50 to $4 in October 2002.

Commissioner Joe Daniels, who initially alerted the other commissioners to the new regulations effective March 17, said $74,000 has been set aside so far to close the landfill.

"If we wait (until after March 17), will that be enough to close it?" he asked.

Part of the new regulations call for six more inches of top soil upon final closing, which makes it 12 inches altogether. That's in addition to 18 inches of compacted material. This is all to be at a maximum slope of three to one.

Commissioners said previously they were afraid there wasn't enough dirt there for the six inches that had been required.

The new administrative regulations adopted by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment also call for more water and stormwater management and more documentation of landfill activity.

Commission chairman Don Navinsky said last week's meeting was to decide whether the county planned to pump money into the landfill and if it would continue to operate.

"I don't know the costs," Corpstein said, "but it looks like it's over my head."

He knew of only one big project that could impact business in the near future -- the demolition of more than 300 houses at Fort Leavenworth.

David Lutgen, assistant county engineer, has been keeping the permits updated on the landfill.

"My thought is we need to get out of the business," he said, "whether it's closed or sold."

Daniels said the county didn't have much "wiggle room," because there's only about 60 days before the new regulations kick in.

If the decision was made before March 17 to close it, KDHE allows six months to do that, he said.

As they discussed selling the land, the issue of a new survey was raised. The county surveyor had pointed out problems with the existing boundary lines. Counselor David Van Parys told commissioners Thursday he intended to contact six surveyors about bidding.

Before doing that, however, commissioners had to declare that the property to be sold is no longer of public use. Navinsky made that motion, which passed 3-0. Leavenworth (Kansas) Times