Transfer station public meeting addresses concerns

On Tuesday October 1, Thermopolis Mayor Adam Estenson and the Town Council held a community information meeting about the coming transfer station.

Regarding the presentation’s overview, Mayor Estenson provided slides that showed a historical timeline, information on the DEQ Cease and Transfer Program, options that have been explored, what is a transfer station?, locations, what is in motion?, decision yet to be made and questions and answers.

In the historical timeline, Thermopolis started dumping operations at the west site landfill in the 1970s. In 1996, the east landfill opened with a 30 year projected life. In 2007, the town started talking with the DEQ about a Cease and Transfer. In 2016, the town identified potential transfer station sites. In 2020, the town performed a land swap at the US Highway 20 site, where WYDOT granted commercial access with the understanding of a turn lane construction assistance. In 2021, the town spent $20,000 on the US Highway 20 site access road. In 2022, WYDOT performed a traffic study and didn’t warrant cost sharing of a turning lane. There were concerns raised about the Highway 20 access. In 2023, the new town administration reset the conversation and performed a six-month investigation into alternative options and locations. In 2024, negotiations began on the Highway 120 site. Later, in 2024, the Town Council approved the purchase agreement for the Highway 120 site. On July 1, 2024, the landfill closes if there is no action taken.

Regarding the DEQ Municipal Landfill Cease and Transfer Program, it exists to close municipal landfills and move waste to “more cost-effective regional landfills.” This can range from refuse collection (packer) trucks to a large transfer station. Also, $2 million in funding for the building of a transfer station was granted in the 2024 legislative session. Additionally, $2.5 million in funding for the landfill closure was granted in the same session. This will be for capping and monitoring the landfill. 

The program deadlines are: landfill permit amendment revisions are due to the DEQ by October 31, 2024 and the transfer station permit application is also due to the DEC by October 21, 2024. Also, continued intermediate deadlines will be set by the DEQ.

Mayor Estenson then went over other options with and without state funding to demonstrate the thought processes in their decision making. The first opening was to use packer trucks, costing $1 million each. They are state funded on initial purchase, too large for some alleys, and future purchase price for replacement are a factor.

The second option was to permit additional cells with a lining. They are extremely cost prohibitive and there is no state funding for this option. 

The third option is to seek a waiver from lining the cells. This option involves initial engineering assessment costs of about $100,00 to $300,000. There is no guarantee the conditions would be favorable. There are only three to four cells to use and there is no state funding for this option.

The fourth option is to permit a new landfill. This option involved large land acquisition and construction costs, no guarantee of a permit, and no state funding.

The fifth option is to privatize the sanitation services. In this option, there is limited cost control and a franchise agreement. There would be no residential dumpster and it would remove the town from sanitation.

The sixth option is to do nothing. This would result in incurred fines from the DEQ and EPA, a costly legal battle, and would jeopardize other state and federal funding.

Next, Mayor Estenson went over a variety of locations previously considered. Some locations have become unavailable to development. Other locations were disqualified by the DEQ because they were in the floodplain. The original landfill was eliminated due to costs and no utilities currently present there.

There were two transfer station locations in the final discussion. One was the US Highway 20 Site, which was previously proposed. The other was the current proposed site at the Highway 120 Site, which now has a purchase agreement approved by the town council.

Mayor Estenson compared the rough total costs of each in his presentation. For the US Highway 20 Site, there was a land swap with minimal closing costs, a turning lane on High 20 costing $415,000, a road to the site costing $250,000, power and comms to the site costing $300,000, water to the site, costing $100,000 (including a Red Lane line realignment, and onsite septic, costing $50,000+. The rough total of all of this is about $1,115,000.

For the Highway 120 Site, there was a land purchase of $300,000, a truck entrance road, costs about $150,000; 3-Phase power is at the site; a water main is at the site; sewer and gas (with highway bores) costs about $200,000. The rough total of all of this is about $650,000. There also could be additional landscaping costs.

Mayor Estenson provided images of a new transfer station. It is a commercial metal building with several garage doors that allow access to trucks. There is a working floor and a lower area for the trucks. Everything would be done indoors, which would prevent wind from blowing trash and the smell to be minimal. The amount of the trash would be present inside would be limited to about one day or so, thus preventing smell issues.

Mayor Estenson asked, “What is in Motion?” His answers are, the continued town operated trash collection service for residents (dumpsters); the participation in the Cease & Transfer Program; Highway 120 Site is the new transfer station location; to provide self haul options for Hot Springs County residents; to provide transfer services for contract sanitation service (eg. Wyoming Environment Service, Waste Management, etc.); and the town operates transfer trucks.

Mayor Estenson then presented the decisions yet to be made. They are: what landfill will receive the trash?; the transfer station architectural design; the landscaping and design of retaining walls; the permit construction and demolition operation at the current landfill, the annexation of the transfer station site into town limits, the operation hours of the transfer station, dump stations for county residents, compost, and recycling, such as cardboard.

During the questions and answers session, many subjects were brought up by the public. There were concerns that smell still would be an issue, some saying yes and others testifying they experienced no smell issues at other municipalities. 

One subject said that the existing landfill would be viable for a waiver from needing a layer and to continue to use there because of the geological makeup.

Engineer Health Overfield rebutted that idea because the old landfill area used to be a possible bentonite mine and there are possibly many holes bored that would allow contamination. Also, the DEQ already determined old landfill as not viable for those reasons. 

Recycling was discussed and could still be an option, however, there are additional costs involved and that most of the recycled materials end up in a landfill anyway, according to Mayor Estenson. 

The cost of the $300,000 land purchase for the transfer station was discussed. Mayor Estenson admitted it was high however, it is a commercial plated site and there are already utilities there. 

One concerned citizen offered his land as a different option for a transfer station. However, Mayor Estenson later reported that the “offer to give land for transfer station was not a sincere or legitimate offer… Additionally, the site would not have met basic feasibility criteria.”

The town is moving forward as there are program deadlines set by the DEQ. The landfill permit amendment revisions and the transfer station permit application are due to the DEQ by October 31, 2024.

After the information session, the town council met at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. During citizen participation, the council voted and passed the approval of Meri Ann Dorman’s street closure request for the Lighted Parade on December 7.

Also, Debbie Davenport requested a meeting with the mayor and council regarding continued issues at her neighboring property.

Chief of Police Pat Cornwell reported that there was moose loose in town earlier that day.

Assistant to the Mayor Jim Jeunehomme asked the council to start reviewing and researching the town’s ordinance as they will potentially be updating them in the future.