CENTRAL PENINSULA LANDFILL (CPL)

(907) 262-9423

Open Daily from 8:00 am to 5:45 pm

Closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day

Location
The CPL is located at 46915 Sterling Highway (Mile 98.5) or 2.5 miles south of Soldotna in Sec. 12 and 13, T4N, R11W, SM, AK. 

Background
The landfill was established in 1969 by the City of Soldotna and operated by the city, or its contractor, until 1974 when the Borough assumed control.

Borough staff researched various landfill options including looking for new sites and evaluating several waste processing methods such as refuse derived fuel, composting, recycling, landfilling, etc. In 1990, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly adopted Resolution of Recommendation 90-41 for improvements at Borough solid waste facilities. Final recommendations for the CPL included construction of a baling facility, a lined disposal cell and a leachate collection and treatment system at the existing location.

The construction of the 13,000 square foot facility was completed in 1992. Site improvements included vehicle scales and an attendant shed; loading conveyor and Mosely baling machine; tipping areas; vehicle maintenance area and administrative space; hazardous waste, used oil and vehicle battery collection stations; water well, pumphouse and storage tank; recycling area; paved and graveled roads, parking areas, and some landfill improvements.

The design, utilities, facility construction and landfill improvements cost approximately $4.7 million. The project was funded in part through an ADEC grant, legislative grant and the issuance of general obligation bonds.

In addition to landfill improvements, approximately $2.1 million was expended to purchase properties surrounding the CPL. Research for a new landfill location determined that new site development costs would be higher than obtaining additional land adjacent to the existing landfill. The purchase assures additional development and operational area well into the future and provides a large buffer surrounding the landfill area. The landfill and buffer properties encompass an estimated 620 acres.

The original landfill area reached capacity in 2006.  The site was closed with a geosynthetic clay liner and geocomposite, topsoil and seeded in 2007.

Construction
Federal and State regulations require liner installation and extensive environmental controls with any new or expanded landfill.  To address these requirements, improvements were constructed at CPL, the Borough's main regional landfill.

The October 2002 election authorized the issuance of solid waste bonds in the amount of $12,000,000 to finance the construction and equipping the CPL.  $7,040,000 of the authorized amount was issued in May 2003 for the first phase.  The remaining amount of $4,960,000 was issued December 2009 for the design and construction of Cell 2.

Improvements at CPL included construction of a cell with a bottom liner consisting of a  geosynthetic clay liner, overlain with a high density polyethylene liner, leachate (water passing through the waste) and gas collection systems, leachate lagoon and tank, leachate loading station, stormwater collection and sediment lagoon, mechanical/pump building, extensive fencing, parking pads and roads, and other related upgrades.  Construction of the first cell and related improvements began summer 2003 and was completed by October 2005. Excavation of Cell 2 began in October of 2010 and completed in fall of 2011.

Each landfill cell has a useable capacity of approximately five years, so a new lined cell will need to be planned and constructed approximately once every five years for the next 30-50 years (estimated site life). Although the useable life of each cell is only about five years, the associated leachate collection and treatment facilities will be in use for a much longer period.

Cell 1 development encompasses 9.3 acres.  Waste is deposited into the lined cell and compacted.  The leachate that is collected and temporarily held in the lagoon and tank and is recirculated back through the waste to enhance decomposition (providing more space) and to reduce or eliminate the need to haul water to a wastewater treatment plant for disposal.  Leachate management utilizing recirculation provides operational cost savings since the Borough minimizes costs to haul water to a wastewater plant and pay for disposal. Several design deficiencies where discovered after the first winter of landfill operations.  The primary deficiency was freezing problems associated with leachate management.  A design modification project correcting these deficiencies was competed in the fall of 2011.

Cell 2 encompasses 4.88 acres.  Waste and leachate will be managed in a similar manner as Cell 1.  Leachate collection, leachate recirculation and landfill gas collection systems are directly connected to Cell 1 systems.

The current recycling program will continue to divert as much material as possible from burial.  Additionally, construction and demolition debris, asbestos, wood waste, and other materials not requiring burial in a lined cell are managed in separate areas of the site. 

Permitting
The CPL is required by regulation to have multiple permits that have varying requirements for ongoing operations at the facility.

Three permits are currently required by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC): Solid Waste Disposal Permit, Research Development and Demonstration Permit, and Alaska Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit.

ADEC Solid Waste Disposal Permit – SW1A006-11
18 AAC 60 Solid Waste Management regulations require municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLF) be designed, built and operated to minimize health and safety threats, pollution and nuisances and operated in compliance with a comprehensive permit.  The permit period is for five years and application process includes drawings, documents and plans demonstrating the applicant meets all applicable standards pertaining to location, design, operations, monitoring, closure and post-closure, and financial assurance.   An annual fee of $6,500 applies to Class I landfills.

ADEC Solid Waste Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) Permit – SWRDD002
18 AAC 60 Solid Waste Management regulations require a permitted Class I MSWLF with a liner and a leachate collection system that will recirculate leachate be operated in compliance with a comprehensive RD&D permit in addition to the solid waste disposal permit.  The permit period is three years and application process includes preparation of a detailed research plan with project goals and quantitative methods to measure progress, contingency and monitoring plans.  This particular permit requires submission of comprehensive progress reports every six months. An ADEC hourly fee of $49 applies to any activity associated with this permit include permit application evaluation and semi-annual report review.

This permit requires ongoing commitment by staff that includes significant daily recordkeeping associated with all operating systems – landfill cover, weather station, waste disposal, leachate management, heavy equipment.  Compliance with this permit is a 24/7 operation with leachate management often demanding resources beyond the standard operating day.

ADEC Alaska Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Multi-Sector General Permit – AKR050000
11 AAC 110 Alaska Coastal Management Program regulations require a permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity that includes Sector L, Landfills.  The CPL is covered under a Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) which requires submission of a Notice of Intent to ADEC and compliance with a site specific Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP).  The permit period is not defined since Alaska assumed authority over the EPA permit in October 2009 however the current permit expires in September 2013.

This permit requires additional monitoring separate from other permits and regular recordkeeping and, at a minimum, annual filing with ADEC throughout the permit period.

Operation
On January 1, 2005, the Borough commenced operations of the CPL with Borough staff after a long and lengthy evaluation.

The Borough had contracted operations since 1974.  However, contracting the Borough's primary solid waste responsibility was no longer practical due to factors including, but not limited to, increasing contract costs, limited contract competition, and costs for additional services to address changed/modified work, regulatory changes requiring continual program modifications, extensive work requirements and liabilities due to the new lined landfill, leachate and gas management systems.

Eleven Borough employees were hired to replace the previously contracted positions and work has been conducted efficiently and effectively.  Not only has staff performed the core operations, but have also constructed improvements in the new cell and for the old landfill closure, performed baler rebuild, assisted with other solid waste programs and work at other Borough facilities.

Currently, the CPL receives municipal solid waste (MSW), construction/demolition and landclearing waste, wastewater treatment plant sludges, asbestos, junk vehicles, etc. The estimated annual tonnage is 48,000 to 58,000 tons (16 to 400 tons/day) and the operating hours are 8:00 am to 5:45 pm seven days a week.  See solid waste tonnages from fy98 to fy12.

The landfill serves areas from as far south as Ninilchik, all of the Central Peninsula, and the eastern peninsula (Seward, Hope and all communities in between).  An estimated 75% of the Borough population is served by this landfill, which will increase to 98% with the future inclusion of waste from Homer area in 2013.

The waste is weighed and vehicles are directed to the appropriate disposal area, either in the building on the tipping floor, to the working face of the landfill, or to another designated area.

The MSW is no longer baled, but is placed as loose fill in the lined cell.

Monitoring
Environmental monitoring programs are in place for groundwater, surface water and gas.  Nine groundwater monitoring wells surrounding the facility are sampled four times per year and nearby Arc Lake sampled annually.  Methane gas monitoring is conducted quarterly. Environmental monitoring for gas, water, waste stabilization, and settlement associated with the lined cell is also performed.  Per ADEC regulations, a geotechnical stability analysis of the waste mass is performed annually.

Recycling
CPL has an extensive recycling program.  Collection containers are set up outside the public drop off area for convenient disposal.  The materials collected for recycling include:
 
#1 PETE plastics (waterbottles, etc.)
#2 HDPE plastics (milk jugs, laundry detergent containers, etc.)
Aluminum cans
Container glass
Corrugated cardboard boxs
Mixed paper – includes office, colored, fax, computer paper, envelopes, paper board, magazines, catalogs and phonebooks
Newspaper
Plastic bags and plastic film
Scrap metal including copper, iron and junk vehicles
Tin

Recycling from the Borough Administration Building, Cooper Landing, Crown Point, Funny River, Hope, Kasilof, Kenai, Nikiski, Ninilchik and Sterling is consolidated with CPL's.  See RECYCLE TONNAGES 

The solid waste baler is used to compact most of the recyclables collected prior to the materials being sent to market. The Borough contracts with a local hauler to truck the bales to RockTenn Recycling in Anchorage. Recycling revenue is then paid to the Borough.

Since it is not practical or cost effective to transport glass great distances for recycling, and because there is a beneficial use locally, the Borough has utilized the glass in road projects as a sub-base and drainage material.  The Borough utilized some crushed glass in the paving at the CPL and continues to research alternative local reuse of glass.

SPECIAL WASTE DISPOSAL POLICY and WASTE SEGREGATION