The project will involve work on some of the side slopes of areas at the landfill where waste is currently disposed, as well as the installation of a protective liner.

The project won’t permanently close cells of the landfill, but it will close off some of the slopes created as trash piles up, explained Lyon County Environmental Administrator Roger Schroeder.

Commissioners voted to award a bid of about $1.67 million to an excavating company that would do the work necessary to close the slopes, and install a liner to protect some of the slopes from rain and snow.

Closing the slopes and putting in a liner would help minimize the amount of leachate – a liquid formed by runoff like rainwater mixed with decomposing garbage – that builds up at the landfill, Schroeder said Tuesday.

Photo by Deb Gau Lyon County Commissioners Rick Anderson and Thomas Andries asked questions about the landfill project.

Schroeder said the total area of space that would be closed on the side slopes would come to about five acres.

Three bids for the slope closure were opened on March 19. The apparent low bidder was Burski Excavating, Inc., of Rice, Minnesota. Burski Excavating had a base bid of about $1.67 million.

“The price of the construction came in in line with the engineers’ opinion of probable cost,” Schroeder said.

The project would permanently close the east and south side slopes of landfill phase 9, Schroeder said.

“So when you’re talking permanent closure, we’re not going to ever have to go back to this?” asked Commissioner Rick Anderson.

“Not on the south slope or the east slope. Those are going to be permanently closed up to the design elevation that we’re at right now,” Schroeder said. The cell could still be built up higher than that in the future, he said.

Commissioners discussed whether it would make sense for Burski Excavating to do some additional excavating work at the landfill site. Their consensus was to award the slope closure contract, and then reach out to Burski Excavating about a possible change order.

“It’s just something to look at,” Anderson said about the change order.

Commissioners voted to award the $1.67 million bid from Burski Excavating.

In a separate vote, commissioners also authorized engineering firm Burns & McDonnell to provide construction quality assurance for the project, at a cost of $161,800.