WASILLA -- The Matanuska-Susitna Borough planning commission will revisit a controversial construction and demolition debris dump proposed for near Palmer at a public hearing Monday.
The commissioners rejected a permit last year, but this year they're getting different advice. Planning department staffers are recommending the commission approve the bid from Central Monofill Services to create what's known as a "monofill" at an old gravel pit along the Glenn Highway. The approval recommendation comes with conditions including steps to minimize windblown trash and $1 million in pollution insurance.
The Palmer City Council this week voted unanimously to request the borough deny the permit to landfill shredded debris at a 120-acre former gravel pit near the Matanuska Lakes State Recreation Area. The site isn't within city limits but adjoins city property and could be annexed into the city in the future, officials say.
The fill, less regulated than traditional landfills, would take shredded construction and demolition debris the company can't recycle at its main Anchorage facility. It would also take asbestos, which requires special protections.
Last year, when Central's permit application first came before the commission, staffers recommended against it. Commissioners in a 4-3 vote last year rejected the permit, with a staff report at the time citing concerns about groundwater protection and blowing litter in the windy pit.
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is considering the monofill in a separate process. The state requires the fill sit at least 10 feet above the seasonal high-water level.
Monofill opponents say the local water table is too unpredictable for an unlined debris dump like this one. They say contamination could flow to private wells through a hole in the aquifer punched by the gravel company that previously operated at the site. A borough consultant warned that leachate from the fill could contaminate wells.
They also point to the fact that Central went to court to fight borough citations for dumping without a permit.
Central Environmental Services operates Central Recycling Services and Central Monofill Services.
Central says its operation meets all requirements and the latest permit application was made after meeting with borough staff and addressing local concerns. The company responded to the borough consultant's concerns with reports from four companies.
The planning commission meeting starts at 6 p.m. Monday. The commission is expected to render a decision within 30 days.