Permit Results
Solid Waste Facility Feasibility Determination

Wisconsin's landfill siting process, the longest and most critical step in landfill siting, is designed to balance interests of landfill applicants, the public, and the environment. Recognizing that for so long as society generates wastes that must be disposed, it is necessary to have disposal facilities, the process is specifically intended to ensure landfills can be sited, but also requires siting in an environmentally acceptable manner.

Wisconsin's process is demanding, but has proven to be one of the most effective in the nation. It allows the Department to work early with the proposed landfill owner to consider various potentially controversial and environmental sensitive issues. The "bad actor" review portion of the landfill siting process also requires compliance review of any other existing landfills owned by the applicant, and the proposed landfill cannot be approved if existing conditions and orders are not being complied with.

The following are examples of site specific benefits that resulted from Department review of feasibility reports for proposed landfills approved in 2004:

• May approval, West Central Region:
  • The landfill owner hired a special consultant to evaluate the site for protected plant and animal species, an important part of feasibility report preparation. Because the landfill development would impact native plant communities and a rare butterfly (Karner blue) found, the Department's Endangered Resources Program became involved, leading to a "Habitat Conservation Plan Agreement". The landfill owner will enhance areas not needed for landfill development by replanting wild Lupine, a flower that is the sole source of food for Karner blue butterfly larvae, conduct field surveys to monitor progress, and keep a public trail through the property.
  • Installation of additional groundwater monitoring wells identified contamination that appears to be from a different nearby property. Further investigation will be completed to identify the source of the contamination and ensure appropriate action is taken.
  • Early discussions identified the importance of complying with certain location standards, including at least 300 feet between the limits of waste and a navigable stream, and at least 10 feet between the bottom of the landfill liner and groundwater and bedrock. The Department provided technical assistance to ensure the design would meet these requirements, intended to eliminate potential impacts to surface water and groundwater.
• June approval, Southeast Region:
• The landfill expansion will continue to comply with previously required conditions to maintain an environmental corridor through the property, protecting certain rare animal species (Blandings turtle & Massaga queen snake) and enhancing native plant communities at the site.
• June approval, West Central Region:
• A creek that is an outstanding cold water brook trout fishery will be protected from warm sediment laden discharge from the landfill's surface water sedimentation basin during heavy rainfall events.
• Installation of additional groundwater monitoring wells was required and it was discovered that a different nearby facility is impacting groundwater.
• An additional gas monitoring well was installed between the landfill and an on-site building to help ensure that potential gas migration from the landfill is detected before a health or explosion hazard could occur.
• August approval, Northern Region:
• Design changes were made to ensure the landfill would meet certain minimum standards at all locations, including at least 50 feet between the landfill perimeter berm and the property boundary, and at least 10 feet between the bottom of the landfill liner and the groundwater.
• The design capacity was reduced by approximately 31% from the size last proposed by the landfill owner. The decrease resulted primarily from Department review of a "contested case hearing" brought by local citizens that opposed the landfill expansion based on insufficient "need".