Landfill grant refused

MAT-SU -- The Mat-Su Borough is relying on a little help from the community to cinch more than $3 million in funding to address the Valley's growing needs at the landfill -- or face higher fees at the landfill and possibly higher property taxes.

The borough submitted a grant application to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) recently for more than $1.65 million in funding -- to be matched equally by funds already appropriated by the Legislature -- to close a cell at the landfill and develop a new cell to hold borough residents' refuse, but the department of public works found out recently that the EDA review committee refused the request on the grounds that the application lacked supporting documentation.

". . . the protection of jobs is not supported by identification of beneficiaries or letters of intent to expand," the EDA committee wrote. Borough planner Eileen Probasco has been working on the project and said the committee was looking for evidence that the project would have an impact on economic development.

The matter has not been entirely dropped by the EDA, however. The borough has the opportunity to submit the application again, with supporting documentation about how not expanding the landfill will have community-wide effects.

"We need something from the community . . . that shows their support and that, should there be a drastic change, [businesses would be drastically affected]," Probasco said.

The money would fund the construction of a new landfill cell, which entails approximately 138,000 cubic yards of excavation, the installation of a new lining system, installation of a leachate interception system -- a collection tank for liquids that leach from the dumped materials -- and fill, backfill, grading and stockpiling. The end result would be a new, lined cell for dumping that would be in compliance with Environmental Protection Agency and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) standards.

But how would it affect the community? If the grant is not issued, the present landfill will likely reach capacity by March 2003, but the new cell must be ready for operation before that time, according to borough solid waste engineer Greg Goodale. The old cell must be closed within 30 days of its last date of use or the borough may face fines, so it's imperative that the cell be ready prior to spring of 2003.

In order to get the cell ready, the borough must come up with $3.3 million. If that amount is not available in grant funding, it must come out of borough taxpayer dollars, which could mean higher property taxes or higher disposal fees.

"Should the Borough not receive this funding the landfill will soon reach capacity and borough residents and businesses will be faced with its closure," Mat-Su Borough Manager John Duffy wrote, "thereby requiring that the solid waste be transported to Anchorage and/or an above average increase in non-areawide property taxes or fees to complete this work."

In response to EDA's decision, Duffy sent out letters to several prominent area businesses requesting them to send letters or e-mails discussing how they would be adversely affected if the landfill were to be closed, or if fees for solid-waste disposal are raised.

Although faxes were just recently sent out, a few letters of support have been received, said public works director Jim Swing. Letters have come in from the cities of Palmer and Wasilla, DEC, Nugen's Ranch and Alaska Job Corps.

The borough welcomes additional letters from concerned community members. Letters addressed to the EDA can be e-mailed to eprobasco@msb.co.mat-su.ak.us or sent in care of Director of Public Safety, 350 E. Dahlia Ave., Palmer, AK 99645. Probasco suggested the letters include how the closure of the landfill may have negative economic effects on borough residents or area businesses and how increased solid-waste costs could affect the operations of borough residents or area businesses -- and how they could affect the potential for long-term, private-sector job opportunities in the borough.

Swing said he planned to fly to Seattle to make a presentation to the board as to why the funding was necessary. That presentation is slated for Dec. 6, so he is asking that all letters be sent, e-mailed or faxed to the borough by Nov. 23.