Many in northwest Cache Valley think new landfill site stinks

By Chris Johnsen

April 29, 205 | NEWTON -- Hiedi Hodgson said the new landfill for northwestern Cache Valley stinks -- and not because of garbage. Citizens from Newton, Clarkston, and Cornish complain the landfill is unfair and motivated by Logan's need of money, said Hodgson.

"It feels like the west side of the county does not have a voice, its very frustrating, our petitions have been ignored," said Hodgson. "I think the issue has not been properly addressed to the whole county or else there would be more opposition."

The county's current 85-acre landfill has a 17-year life expectancy. The new landfill will be about 200 acres and is located about four miles north of Clarkston on a hilly area called the "washboards" between Dirty Head Road and Stink Creek Road.

Studies by Logan's Environmental Department may have shown the best place for garbage in Cache County, but the studies did not show the best place for the garbage overall. "We think the cost to our environment and our community is just way too high," said Hodgson.

"Not in my backyard," is the common response to a landfill said Issa A. Hamud, Logan's environmental director. "I don't want to minimize their concerns, without listening to them we would not be able to do a good job." A lot of public involvement was used to try to meet every citizen's concern, said Hamud.

Hodgson said Logan selected the site lacking the most obvious problems, and they will fill it with garbage, moving from site to site filling up the valley with trash during the next 130 years. Box Elder or Promontory Landfill is further from other communities and its site is capable of taking trash for the next 1,000 years. Promontory was considered as an out-of-county site, but currently lacks a solid waste permit.

Hamud said many factors have been considered in choosing an appropriate site for the in-county landfill including visual impact, community surveys, operating costs and economic evaluations. Of three possible sites in Cache County, the new site was chosen because it had the lowest visual impact, deepest excavation potential (100 feet), and the longest use life (83 years). One site was eliminated because it fell below a 50-year use standard set by the community, and the other site failed because of its close proximity to groundwater, said Hamud.

As for being motivated by money, although the Logan City Environmental Department serves as the contractor for collecting solid waste in Cache Valley, Hamud said all revenue generated in waste management is spent in waste management operation; the budget is balanced every year.

"We don't mean to sound critical, they just have a different perspective; we don't think they have been entirely honest," said Hodgson.

Despite fears citizen's concerns can rest easy for the time being.

"We would like to use the space available in this [Logan's] landfill as long as we can. I will not be surprised if there is no landfill in Clarkston 10 years from now," said Hamud.

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