WORLAND — The Washakie County Solid Waste Disposal District Board took another step forward in their performance-based pit permit process at their meeting Monday night by signing to contracts.

Eric Graney, hydrogeologist for Inberg–Miller, presented two contracts for signatures, one for well monitoring for $41,870 at the landfill near Worland, that also includes the costs of lab work; and one for the permitting and design for performance-based pit with a cost of $246,000. The cost included $55,000 for the permit and about $90,000 for wells.

The board had previously approved the contract for the permit process, but signed it at their meeting Monday. The board unanimously approved the well monitoring contract.

Graney said Inberg-Miller has “successfully demonstrated a performance-based pit works in Torrington. “It was a pretty big success. It was the first open pit permitted under the new regulations,” Graney said.

He said they also just finished the process with the Uinta County District No. 2.

“We’re getting a good pattern down, we know what the state is looking for. The (Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality) DEQ has established parameters and protocols,” Graney said.

In the permit contract, Graney said Inberg-Miller is proposing six test borings to collect soil samples in Cell 3A to make sure the soil would not require a liner. Soil tests would include checking for permeability and fuel capacity. A liner is not required with a performance-based pit. Graney said costs for lining a pit can run up to $3 million.

As part of the performance-based pit, Graney said additional groundwater monitoring wells will be required. DEQ had requested 20 additional wells but Inberg-Miller negotiated down to four. There are already two wells at the landfill.

Graney said additional groundwater monitoring wells would be required with or without a liner.

Graney said permits are now lifetime permits instead of every four years but will require annual reporting.

As for the permit, he said they are working for submittal for the September deadline submittal.

“That’s a little tight. It’s usually about a year long process, but we’re going to do what we can to push for that,” Graney said.

Once Cell 3A is permitted, he said there is about 40 years of life with the cell.

Graney said he feels comfortable in getting the performance-based pit permit. “We think we have a good shot or we wouldn’t be recommending it, but until we collect the (soil) data and prove it we won’t know.”

He said they will begin drilling for soil samples next week. With time for testing, analyzing and review by the DEQ, an answer on the soil should come in June.

In other business Monday:

—Dale Grenier of Black Hills Bentonite asked if something could be done with their charges at the landfill. He said they bring empty plastic bags that don’t weigh much but take up volume so they are getting charged for more than what they are actually bringing in. He provided 13 weight slips and said if they need to they can continue to bring weight slips to be billed from until the district gets a scale. He said they don’t currently have a way to compact the bags.

Chairman Travis Filler asked Grenier for time for the board to look over the weight slips and consider options.

There was discussion about Black Hills Bentonite finding a way to compact the bags, or getting a commercial dumpster and having the commercial waste company compact the bags.

Landfill manager Gene Cliame expressed concern about finding a special flat rate or doing something different with Black Hills.

“Once we get a scale that will be fair for everyone,” he said.

—Filler reported that repairs on a 613 paddle wheel scraper will be about $21,000 more than estimated due to unforeseen issues that also needed repaired.

“When we get it back it should be good for 10-12 years,” Filler said.

—Cliame requested, and the board approved, to move a part-time employee to full time to fill the full-time vacancy. The employee will be given a $1 per hour raise once full-time hours begins.

—Cliame requested sending a letter to the Town of Ten Sleep and the Washakie County Conservation District regarding accepting the Ten Sleep recyclables. He said the conservation district has requested a two-hour turnaround and so he is requesting at least 24-hour notice to make sure there are enough employees available to accommodate the request.

He noted that accepting the recycles costs the district about $100 per trailer with only about $10 in revenue brought in.

—Board member Bill Graves asked about Ten Sleep moving to a transfer station. Filler said his understanding is that the project is moving quickly. He said the Worland landfill would love to accept the trash from Ten Sleep and he will attend the next board meeting to express that interest.