BOURNE — As one of four municipal solid waste landfills remaining in Massachusetts, the 115-acre Bourne facility between Route 28 and the western edge of Camp Edwards is proceeding with long-planned expansion efforts that continue to frame the town’s long-term capital investment and serve the regional economy.
Constructing new administrative offices and a garage complex to the south of current recycling operations, along with creating more disposal space atop existing trash cells, are next, according to Landfill Operations Director Asa Mintz.
“This expansion will be the biggest in state history,” Mintz said.
There are 16 active landfills in Massachusetts including seven in the southeastern region, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. The Bourne landfill and the Nantucket landfill, also town-owned, are the only active landfills on Cape Cod and the Islands.
Bourne Capital Outlay Committee Chair Wayne Sampson said the town is waiting to see how much building the office and garage will cost. He said his panel will learn this spring that the feasibility study to construct new quarters in a cleared expansion tract should soon be completed. Costs will be presented to May town meeting voters, he said.
“The department’s concern is that they envision a tight schedule as they must have construction completed to move some operations to the new location and create new disposal space before current operating areas can be closed,” Sampson noted. “There is no funding request presently.”
Select Board Chair Mary Jane Mastrangelo said overall Bourne landfill investment in solid waste disposal and regional construction debris processing is considerable, but that an exact cost from over the years would entail research.
“The expansion will require a substantial investment,” Mastrangelo noted in an email. “However, there will be a significant return because that department will continue to pay the town a host community fee each year in addition to paying the cost of curbside trash and recycling.
“All costs associated with the expansion will be paid out of the landfill enterprise fund and not the taxpayer supported general fund,” Mastrangelo said.
Landfill expansion costs could be substantial
The expansion could be expensive, town officials said.
“Cell liner costs total $500,000 per acre,” Mintz said. “Capping costs $200,000 per acre.”
Finance Director Erica Flemming said landfill dollars continue to flow into town coffers via the host community agreement. Money is directed to administrative support, climate resiliency projects and the town’s capital stabilization fund. She said ultimate disposition falls to town meeting voters each year.
Projected landfill receipts for fiscal 2025 total $14,792,810, according to budgets released Jan. 9 by Town Administrator Marlene McCollem. This reflects a 7.24% hike over this year’s $13.8 million.
Town records show that in fiscal 2023 the host community fee continued at $600,000 plus $386,082 headed into the capital stabilization account.
What would expansion entail?
Plans call for a total added waste volume of 5.175 million cubic yards. The facility’s tonnage limit now is 219,000 cubic tons per year or 825 daily tons as allowed by state environmental authorities. In addition, the facility accepts 125 tons of construction debris from the Cape, South Coast and South Shore.
The construction debris reflects economic conditions. “Some days the trucks form a long line with C&D,” Mintz said. “Some days there is no line.”
There will be expansion in multiple phases on two areas through two efforts, involving 17 acres for horizontal waste disposal south of the current operations and 74 acres of additional vertical disposal atop the existing cells.
A box-turtle habitat in the area set for expansion has been offset by setting aside four protected acres along Route 28.
Landfill administrators have assured the public the residential recycling area and Dorothy’s Swap Shop will continue operating during expansion.
Expansion has weathered intense scrutiny
Landfilling over the Cape’s sole-source aquifer might, in some quarters, seem like an environmental timebomb. But overall, operations across more than two decades and expansion plans have navigated exacting scrutiny.
Now vertical cell expansion is underway, Mintz said.
“All regulatory compliance and environmental review are complete,” he said. “We’ve taken into account aquifer protection, those forever chemicals and greenhouse emission gases have been addressed. Hydrogeologic studies have been done for the south expansion area and the current facility.”
Moving into a cleared area and ultimately creating more double-lined disposal cells have met site-assignment modification review, Bourne Board of…
Read More: New offices, garage complex, disposal area planned at Bourne landfill