Benton County landfill to limit operations; waste heading to Marion

At a special session Friday morning, the Benton County Board of Supervisors approved Benton County Engineer Myron Parizek's recommendation to temporarily limit operations of the county landfill.

Beginning Monday, the landfill at 7904 20th Ave., Blairstown, will limit operations until the Iowa Department of Natural Resources approves the construction certificate of a new cell already built at the landfill. The DNR had concerns about bead wire present in the tire shreds in the new cell and is conducting lab testing on tire shred samples.

Parizek hopes the lab testing and DNR approval will be completed within the next several weeks, allowing the Benton County landfill to resume full operations.

Until then, the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency has agreed to accept municipal solid waste from Benton County at its site at 1954 County Home Rd., Marion, for an out-of-county rate of $45 a ton for a maximum of 30 days.

In the resolution approved at its meeting Wednesday night, the agency said, “the tonnage will have minimal impact on our operations and the Agency needs MSW (municipal solid waste) to complete the first lift of our new cell to comply with freeze thaw protection regulations.”

Benton County will have an account with the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency for the fees. Benton County averages 50 tons of waste per day, estimating the cost at $30,000 to re-route the trash to Linn County in October.

Private individuals will still be allowed to bring “white waste” (such as household appliances); electronics, tires, clean wood and tree limbs to the Benton County landfill where several roll-off containers will be set up. Shingles can be accepted at the Benton County landfill if the shingles are separated from other construction waste.

Construction and demolition debris will have to go to the site in Marion.