Come next year, Saratoga County could be turning over the keys to an unused landfill.
The county recently received three proposals from private companies hoping to run the Northumberland landfill, which has sat unused since being finished in 2001. Any deal would provide the county with needed cash. Five parties had expressed interest in a deal in later 2011.
“We look forward to the proposals to see if there can be a good return on the county’s investment both long and short term. … We’re at the beginning stages of contract negotiations among the three proposals,” said Hans Arnold, owner and environmental consultant of Gerhardt LLC, a consultant working with the county on the landfill issue.
Proposals have come in from Finch Paper LLC, New England Waste Services of New York Inc. and Capital Region Landfills, Inc. Finch Paper runs a landfill next to the county’s site and New England Waste Services runs County Waste located in Clifton Park.
Arnold said several hours are being spent going over each one of the proposals by every member of the county Landfill Subcommittee. Arnold sits on the committee with supervisors Alan Grattidge, Bill Peck, Jean Raymond, Art Johnson and County Public Works Commissioner Keith Manz.
Manz said between now and the end of the year, the subcommittee hopes to come to a conclusion on the best proposal. The committee has been at the task for at more than a year.
“We’re being very conservative and will meet with all three submitters,” Manz said. The details of the proposals are not being divulged, but any company could seek to lease, but or pursue a different kind of operational agreement.
As of Monday, Oct. 16, Raymond, Edinburg supervisor, said she had read one of the proposals in its entirety and scanned the others. Because it’s still early in the process of reviewing each proposal, Raymond said the subcommittee has not deliberated on the plans yet.
“I am glad we’re moving forward more toward not having it sitting empty,” she said.
As the subcommittee settles in to review all of the proposals, Arnold pointed to three main criteria the county is looking for.
“We want to make sure they’re friendly, viable companies … and how they are with reporting (issues) and problem solving. Second, we’re looking at the final package offered and the facets up front, like payments,” said Arnold.
The third is a plan for recovery of methane gas to electricity and what each company is estimating for revenue as well as good synergy between the site itself and the proposed use.
Grattidge, Charlton supervisor and chairman for the subcommittee, said he is placing an emphasis on not rushing a decision.
“We want to do it right in the proper time,” he said.
Grattidge estimated it is not costing the county much by keeping the 100-acre site unused. There is a maintenance person on site doing the mowing and taking daily monitoring readings from the double liner system that’s in place.
In addition to the operations of the landfill, whichever company is awarded occupancy will also be responsible for overseeing a preserve on the southwestern border of the landfill near Kobor Road. The area is roughly 35 acres and is dedicated to the Northern Harrier Hawk, a species of concern.
The county Landfill Subcommittee is heading into the first of many review sessions slated to commence early next month.