Melfort landfill decommissioning nearing completion

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“For this project, our landfill cap was constructed of a half-metre thick layer of compacted clay material over the waste, with topsoil and a vegetation layer,” explained CIpywnyk. “The clay material was excavated on site and was compacted to a specific density to encapsulate the historical waste area.” 

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The city will submit the required documents to the Ministry of Environment for review and approval before the cell is officially declared closed. 

Cipywnyk said the new landfill cell, leachate pond, and stormwater management facility are all substantially complete, apart from commissioning the leachate pumps. The city expects that portion of the work to be completed by early next month. 

“We have learned a lot about operating the new cell in the last six months since we accepted our first load of residential waste in February,” said Cipywnyk. “As more and more loads have been directed to the new cell, our operators have done an excellent job of keeping an eye on the types of loads and working to prevent any damage to the new liner.” 

The existing cell had reached the end of its design life, according to Cipywnyk, and the Ministry of Environment directed the city to close the cell to reduce the risk of environmental contamination and to comply with current regulations. The cell that is being decommissioned did not have a liner or a barrier between the waste and the ground of the pit.   

“The new cell has a fully engineered liner and leachate management system which meets the current regulation and greatly reduces the risk of environmental contamination,” Cipywnyk said.   

The change means that the drop-off areas for grain bags, tires, scrap metal, and clean wood have been relocated from the active waste zone to the access road, which has been widened to accommodate two-way traffic to the new cell. Updated maps and signage will be produced to help customers navigate the site.  

Cipywnyk said the project wouldn’t have happened without the Investing in Canadian Infrastructure Program Grant awarded back in 2022, and the provincial and federal government funding was vital for the decommissioning to proceed. She thanked all landfill customers and Melfort residents for their patience and cooperation during the process.  

The budget for the decommissioning portion of the project was $2.8 million, with 33 per cent covered by the provincial government and 33 per cent by the federal government through the ICIP grant. The City of Melfort funded the remaining 33 per cent. The new landfill cell, including construction, engineering, new signage, and more, costs $6 million, fully covered by the municipality.

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cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com