(Glenn Hicks/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Cost of Trash

Council discusses proposed $6 million landfill expansion

Jan 12, 2021 | 3:53 PM

An estimated $6 million expansion is needed at Prince Albert’s landfill, but some councillors have questions about whether P.A. residents are shouldering too much of the cost.

The enlargement will see the addition of a new cell and the expansion of two existing ones. It will provide another 20 years of waste capacity at the landfill.

The need to build a new $3.5 million cell in 2021 has been looming on the horizon for several years prompting various creative ideas from councillors about what to do with Prince Albert’s waste.

The proposed estimated $6 million expansion is shown in red. (Council agenda package/City of P.A.)

At Monday night’s executive committee, capital projects manager Nykol Miller explained expanding existing cells at the same time as building the new one will maximize capacity by allowing garbage to be piled higher.

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“The optimal design for the landfill is to have a pyramid shape,” Miller said.

Finding the balance

City administration is recommending that the estimated $6 million expansion be paid for with a 10 year loan. Annual principle and interest payments of $660,000 will be paid from the city’s sanitation fund, which has an annual cash flow of around $1 million a year.

The sanitation fund is made up of money from two principle sources: first, the sanitation surcharge charged to P.A. residents monthly on their utility bills, and second, user fees paid by people dropping off waste at the landfill.

However, several councillors voiced concern that out of town users of the landfill weren’t paying their fair share. Coun. Blake Edwards was among those who expressed interest in seeing dumping rates for non-residents increased.

“Here’s all of these communities and people outside the city that really rely on our landfill,” he told council. “But here’s the residents of Prince Albert and the commercial businesses paying for it.”

Coun. Tony Head echoed his comments.

“The reason that we’re now building one [a new cell] is because we’re allowing this garbage coming in from outside of our community,” he said. “And if we’re going to do that, they should be paying accordingly for it.”

Council will continue discussion on the proposed landfill expansion during next week’s sanitation fund budget deliberations.

Meanwhile a review of landfill fees is currently underway and a report is expected at council later this year.

Director of Public Works Wes Hicks cautioned councillors that while they want to ensure rates are high enough the City can make a profit to continue to operate the landfill, a fine balance needs to be struck.

“At the same time we can’t make them so high that they then refuse to bring it in and they then dump it in the forest, we do have that issue,” he said. “There’s a balance that we have to find that sweet spot.”

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom