Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Landfill Merger Possible

A merger between two solid waste districts could soon become a reality.

According to Joe Ball, with the Upper Southwest Solid Waste Management District, this district could merge with the Southwest Central Regional Solid Waste District, composed of Clark, Hot Spring and Garland counties and produce fuel pellets from the garbage the districts receive.

In fact, Ball met with the Southwest Central board Wednesday, Sept. 18, telling the members about the process and Georgia Pacific's plans including a 10 year contract.

Ball, who talked to the Upper Southwest board Friday, Sept. 20, said there is a good chance the district can find an existing facility and purchase some used equipment, primarily the conveyor system and not the cubing machine itself.

He said the combined districts would have no problem producing 250 tons per day on a seven-day-a-week basis. This would supply GP with the fuel pellets it requires.

Ball informed the panel the tests GP ran on the pellets show a BTU (British Thermal Unit) consistent with coal. This means there would be no problems with the timber company using the pellets. It also ran tests to make sure its existing equipment wouldn't be adversely affected with the pellets.

The Southwest Central district currently has a contract with Saline County. This contract runs out in about two years and will leave the district with nowhere to take its refuse.

The district also successfully sued the Saline County landfill when it attempted to raise its tipping fees in violation of its contract. Since the suit, the landfill has shown no interest in keeping the district's business.

Ball also told the Upper Southwest board the Southwest Central group is exploring the possibility of building its own landfill. Two sites have been looked at in South Clark County, near Gurdon.

One problem may be in getting a permit. The Arkansas Department of Pollution Control and Ecology has strict requirements for landfills and obtaining a permit may be difficult to obtain. Additionally, Ball said, building landfills is anything but cheap. He said it could cost the other district $5 million before the purchase of equipment.

However, he said the board for the Southwest Central group informed him it wants to be first in line for the fuel pellet project, and is very interested in helping the Upper Southwest with it.

First, he said, they will have to examine their options and decide exactly what they want to do.

Ball said the pelletizing process would sort the garbage mechanically and manually, with "pickers" placed alongside the conveyor belts removing such items as plastic and glass. The metals would be removed magnetically, he said.

Between 65 and 70 percent of all the garbage will be removed for recycling and cubing, he said, with the rest going into the landfill.

In addition, cubing the garbage into fuel pellets will help the district exceed all current recycling mandates.

Basing prices on all new equipment, Ball said it would cost $3,254,000 for two cubers, site work a storage building, a main building for the equipment, conveyors, shredders, a baler, installation, freight, the electrical work necessary, design and legal fees and other contingencies.

Should the two groups merge and become joint owners, they will then seek bond issues for the equipment costs.

Ball said the only used equipment the district would consider buying would be conveyors used less than six months. This, he told the board, would cost one-third what a new conveyor would run.

Georgia Pacific is limited to using 250 tons per day, Ball said. Should the process produce more, some could be stored at the Nashville site. This excess would be used when the equipment is being repaired so GP wouldn't run short. Additionally, a similar plant at Crossett has expressed interest in purchasing excess fuel pellets.

Another side benefit would be the ash produced by the burning of the pellets. Ball said the district may be able to use this ash as fill cover. There is also the possibility it can be considered part of the district's recycling.

Should the agreement be reached, a new 12-county solid waste district would be formed. The Southwest Central district, he said, does not want to deal with contracts and prefers a possible merger.

Ball said if everything works out and a merger occurs, it will take 18 months to get the pelletizing plant ready. Once the plant is operational, two eight-hour shifts would be ran six-days-a-week, with one shift working Sundays.