Linn County Landfill Will Be Full 8 Years Earlier than Expected
The Linn County landfill north of Marion will reach its capacity 8 years earlier than originally thought.
The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that increased waste from natural disasters and population growth will push the landfill to capacity. The landfill which is located along County Home Road in Linn County will end operations on June 30, 2044, according to an agreement between the city of Marion and the Cedar Rapids Linn County Solid Waste Agency. But updated data now shows the landfill will reach capacity 8 years sooner, in 2036.
Joe Horaney is the communications director for the Solid Waste Agency. He tells the Gazette that there are currently no plans to build a new landfill in Linn County. He says while the site will likely be full by 2036, the landfill could still stay open through 2044 and act as a transfer site for waste. Horaney stated that other landfills in the state still have 30 to 100 years of airspace left. Waste produced in Linn County could be transferred to those landfills or to a mixed waste processing facility, according to the Gazette.
The Gazette reports that the Solid Waste Agency is working to create an ad campaign, like the video above, to raise awareness about the landfill closing sooner than expected. They want Linn County residents to consider how much waste they send to the landfill and increase recycling efforts.
Horaney told the Gazette that the message is being heard. In fiscal year 2024, the agency took in just over 184,000 tons of waste. That was down over 14,000 tons from 2023. Fees to use the landfill also continue to go up. This month the tipping fee rose to $48 per ton.
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