County advertises for bids for landfill closure
Documents for closure of the former Marion County landfill were presented Nov. 30 to Marion County Commission.
The commission had approved the bid document earlier in the meeting.
Jack Chappelle of Engineering Solutions & Design, Inc., presented the information.
Chappelle was hired by the county to assist with closure of the former landfill that would meet Kansas Department of Health and Environment requirements.
The landfill "hole" will be filled with dirt obtained from adjacent land. When filled, a 48-inch thick covering will be added on top of the dirt pile.
Of that cover, 18 inches will be clay, a 12-inch protective layer which protects against frost, and an 18-inch vegetative layer (top soil).
Seeding is required on the final layer, Chappelle said. The commission decided to have the seeding included in the bid document for the dirt work.
Chappelle said the cost estimate was $266,900 to complete the closure.
The county would be responsible for ongoing monitoring and annual samples.
Thirty-year post-closure costs would include annual repair work to the cover, reseeding, and other required maintenance at an approximate cost of $10,000 per year.
A construction quality assurance plan was reviewed by the commission. The plan is a requirement of KDHE to assure the final cover is installed properly, Chappelle said.
The commission reviewed a third set of bid documents for the actual filling of the landfill.
Chappelle informed the commission the county must retain a surveyor to determine the appropriate amount of soil be used for the cover. This is a more accurate means of measuring than counting truck loads, Chappelle said.
A bid notice was in last week's edition of the Marion County Record. Bid letting will be 11 a.m. Dec. 20, during a regular commission meeting.
Construction would not begin until March or April. Chappelle said contractors may "hedge" on a fuel bid because of fluctuating costs.
"There's not a lot of work," Chappelle said, "particularly in this area. This should be fairly competitive."
The plans for bidding purposes will be placed in plan rooms in Wichita, Topeka, and Kansas City. The project also will be listed in a trade newsletter.
Chappelle said his firm would provide inspections during the construction.
When the bid is awarded, project contracts will be drawn in a timely manner by Chappelle but he was not certain when the contractor would have the necessary documents completed.
Chappelle said the documents should be ready for approval by the Jan. 4 commission meeting if not before.
New commission members will be sworn in to office Jan. 10, the second Monday of January. The current commission wants to approve the documents while still in office.
