The landfill shared by Oconto and Marinette counties will begin to develop its third and largest phase in 2015, according to information presented to the Oconto County Board on Sept. 18.
Construction of Phase III of the Mar-Oco Landfill, located on Shaffer Road in Crivitz, is scheduled to begin in 2015 and is expected to cost $850,000, according to John Lefebvre, Marinette County’s land information director, who oversees the landfill.
Funding for Phase III is available in the landfill’s $1.4 million capital improvement fund.
Lefebvre said the cell now in use will reach capacity in 2015 or 2016, creating the need for new cells to be developed. He said the landfill should remain open for 18 more years, but its life is dependent on three things: daily cover, compaction and type of waste.
“The more you compact the garbage into a smaller area, the more waste you can get into a landfill, the better off you are,” Lefebvre said. “The less daily cover you put on the landfill, the better off it is because you save on landfill space.”
The landfill was opened by Marinette County in 1988. Two years later, Oconto County invested $1.2 million to become an equal partner.
According to Lefebvre, the landfill was originally sited for 16 years, but has eclipsed that 2004 date and is on pace for a 2032 closure.
Lee Rymer, chairman of the Oconto County Board, said it has proved to be a good joint project over the years.
“It’s worked out for both counties,” he said.
Oconto County supervisors approved landfill administration and operation budgets for 2015, which included expenditures of $903,200 and anticipated revenue of $998,000. About $80,000 will be applied from the landfill’s fund balance to cover deficits in both the operations budget and administration budget.
Higher tipping fees will increase revenue by about $50,000 for 2015, according to budget estimates. The Mar-Oco Landfill Committee agreed to increase the fees, on the recommendation of Lefebvre. Fees will increase from $49 per ton to $52 per ton effective Jan. 1, 2015.
Expenditures are down about $20,000 from a year ago.
Aside from the $850,000 for developing Phase III, the capital improvement fund includes $150,000 for the purchase of a loader for the landfill, to replace a 14-year-old model. Lefebvre said the staff will decide in the spring if it needs replacing.
About $1.5 million is available for long-term care of the landfill.
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