DUBUQUE METROPOLITAN LANDFILL

DUBUQUE METROPOLITAN LANDFILL. The use of CITY ISLAND as a landfill ended in August, 1976 when the dump on the island was closed and the Dubuque Metropolitan Landfill west of the city along Highway 20 was opened.

In 1995 the Dubuque Metropolitan Solid Waste Agency applied for and received a $100,000 grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to start a household, hazardous waste collection center. Once the grant was received, the Solid Waste Agency formed a partnership with the UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE and the Dubuque County Environmental Task Force. Task force members would mentor interns from the University of Dubuque's environmental studies program. These students would staff the collection center and handle its telephone hotline once the center was established. (1)

In 1997 the center's opening was scheduled for late spring or early summer. County residents would be able to drop off anything labeled toxic, corrosive or reaction free of charge. A private contractor would take care of the disposal. Also planned was a mobile collection unit that would go into neighborhoods or county communities. The object was to make collection easily accessible and frequent. Iowa's first toxic cleanup day had been held in 1986 with only three held during the following years. This was not considered often enough. (2)

Faced with the possibility of losing BFI Waste Systems as its largest customer in 1997, the landfill cut its waste-dumping fees nearly 30% to $28.00 per ton. Since the landfill received no tax-payer support, reductions had to be made. The choice was to eliminate the composting program. The landfill charged $28.00 for every ton of yard waste it accepted, but it cost $45.00 to produce a ton of compost. Dubuque's landfill was the only one in Iowa at the time to give away compost. (3)

The solution came from New Melleray Abbey. The monks wished to produce compost on their land to use in their organic farming program. They volunteered to take the landfill's yard waste. Eventually the monks planned to sell 20% of their compost to local organic farmers. (4)

One of the annual curbside collections occurred after the holiday season in January. "Operation Merry Mulch" provided for the disposal of natural Christmas trees on normal collection days for one week. Citizens and vendors could also transport trees to the landfill where a charge would be made of $2.00 per car or $4.00 per truck depending on weight. The estimated collection of 2,000 trees would yield 30 tons of compost. (5)

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Source:

1. McDermott, Brad. "Partnership to Establish Hazardous-Waste Facility," Telegraph Herald, February 2, 1997, p. 3A. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19970202&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

2. Ibid.

3. McDermott, Brad. "Landfill Cuts Cost, Compost," Telegraph Herald, September 20, 1997, p. 1. Online" https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19970920&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

4. Ibid.

5. "Christmas Trees Soon to be Tons of Compost," Telegraph Herald, January 12, 1998, p. 3A. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19980112&printsec=frontpage&hl=en