Landfill

1. What will happen to this site in the future?
   At this time, it is anticipated the closed landfill located at Hidden Valley will continue to be open space. Restrictions due to the airspace for the airport and our protective cap prevent building on the closed landfill.
   
   
2. How long does it take garbage to break down?
   The breakdown of garbage is dependent on the amount of moisture and air allowed to come in contact with the garbage. Regulations call for landfill operators to monitor a closed landfill for 30 years. Due to the fact that LRI does not allow liquids to enter the active landfill, compacts the garbage and places a cover cap over the closed areas that does not allow for percolation of rainwater, it is anticipated that some of the garbage will not breakdown but remain stable. The landfill operators will know when the garbage is through decomposing by monitoring the methane gas production and the groundwater quality results.
   
   
3. Why was the Hidden Valley landfill closed?
   The Solid Waste permit issued by the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department allowed for solid waste to be placed only on a specified amount of land with specified slopes.
   
   Once that was accomplished the landfill had to close.
4. Will there be any other landfills in the county?
   LRI permitted the new landfill located south of Graham. The permitting process took approximately 13 years. It is unlikely that any other landfill will be permitted in Pierce County.
   
   
5. Why did you put a landfill in the middle of a housing development?
   Pierce County opened and operated the Hidden Valley Landfill Back in the 1960's. At that time the housing developments were not here.
   
   
6. Why doesn't the county run it's own facilities?
   The County has elected to hire a private company to handle the disposal needs.
   
   
7. Why don't you plant trees on the landfill?
   The landfill has a protective cap placed over the garbage that acts as an umbrella shedding the rainwater. Trees have roots that could possibly impair the protective cap.
   
   
8. Why don't you make it into a park?
   LRI and the County are responsible for monitoring the activity of the landfill for 30 years after the closure or until the landfill quits producing methane gas and becomes inactive. At this time even though the landfill is closed it is still producing landfill gas (which is in turn generating electricity), which is monitored and safely handled.
   
   
9. Has there ever been a plane crash on this site?
   No
   
   

 Didn't find the answer? Please send us your question in E-mail.