As Homer landfill nears capacity, plans made to close

• Kenai Peninsula Borough begins process for 2013 trash collection changes in Homer

By Naomi Klouda
Homer Tribune
The Kenai Peninsula is home to only two garbage landfills on the road system – one in Soldotna and one in Homer. And in a few years, there likely won’t be one in Homer.
The Homer landfill isn’t too far from reaching its capacity, with the need to plan now for how trash collection will be done in the future. The Kenai Peninsula Borough has put out a request for proposals to design a Homer Transfer Facility in order to lay the groundwork in preparation for 2013. In August of that year, the Alaska Department of Conservation permit expires, said Director of Solid Waste Jack Maryott.
A pre-proposal meeting will be held at 10 a.m., Nov. 17 at the Homer Baling Facility.
Once additional details are determined later in the process, the borough will hold a public meeting to let residents know what options are in the works, Maryott said.
The idea is to change the way the landfill is operated after 2013, except that it would still be available for “inert” items like construction debris as is done in Seward and Kenai. Solid waste products would be trucked out to Soldotna. The recycling containers would still be in place.
“The waste would be transferred from Homer to the Central Peninsula Landfill on a daily basis. However, disposal rates change in the winter months. We anticipate that Homer will have a slightly higher rate of disposal than Seward,” Maryott said. “It’s important to note that we only plan on transporting municipal solid waste. The borough will continue to utilize the present landfill by operating an inert waste landfill.”   
Siting a new land fill would be the more costly alternative, Maryott said. State and federal regulations on landfills would require it to be a “lined” landfill to protect ground water from pollution seepage. Transporting waste would be more cost effective, he said.
The Homer landfill dates back to 1979, in 1983 it was converted to a bailing facility. It encompasses 90 acres, of which 20 are used for disposing garbage.
The Central Peninsula landfill was established in 1969 by the City of Soldotna, then the borough assumed control of it in 1974. At that site, the landfill and buffer properties encompass approximately 620 acres. CPL is expected to have an approximate life span of 35 to 50 years to come.
“Obviously, the life span of a landfill can change based on a number of factors,” Maryott said. Those factors include better conservation.
“Recycling and reuse is the bottom line. When people bring things to the landfill now, wood, concrete and pallets go into one area – waste goes in another area. To reuse and recycle is a diversion program that are the two major things we can do,” Maryott said.
The process in mind for Homer is similar to the system now in place in Seward, which closed its landfill in 1992, and built a new transfer facility. The Seward Transfer Facility is located along the edge of the Resurrection River. A dike there protects the closed landfill from flooding during heavy rains.
Because of limited space at this site, attempts were made to relocate the landfill. Several locations were considered, but all were publicly opposed or deemed not suitable for landfill use. One of the recommendations was to close the Seward Landfill and construct a transfer facility at the same location. It was determined that transferring Seward’s waste to the Central Peninsula Landfill in Soldotna was preferable, both financially and environmentally.
That facility includes a 6,000 square foot building with a transfer trailer bay, commercial and public disposal areas (tipping floor), a vehicle maintenance area, administrative space, recycle room, and paved parking/driving pads.
The proposal for Homer is a similar concept, Maryott said.

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