Background

The Commission has operated an active municipal solid waste landfill at a Davenport, IA site since the 1970s. The Commission’s facilities at this 600-acre site include the closed Scott County Landfill, the active Scott Area Landfill, a regional collection center for household hazardous material, a citizen convenience center, a landfill equipment maintenance facility, Commission administrative offices, and systems providing for beneficial use of landfill gas as replacement for natural gas at an adjacent limestone drying kiln. The Commission’s goals for the Master Plan included strategic short and long term decision-making processes which aligned with environmental and financial sustainability of the solid waste systems at the site. The Commission wanted to create an end use plan that would inform operations at the site over the projected life of the Scott Area Landfill.

Approach

Foth worked closely with the Commission to develop guiding principles and metrics for the Master Plan process, including over-arching environmental goals, landfill operations and education/end use.

Results

The completed Master Plan met the goals of the Commission and created a vision for the Commission to recognize significant benefits, particularly to increase the active life of the Scott Area Landfill by 20 years. The Commission uses the Master Plan as a living document to inform ongoing decisions and operations at the site, and help them understand how near-term operations will build toward the site’s end use.