Position statement The group of citizens that is trying to alert the public to the issues in this landfill debate has developed a position on the landfill expansion. The proposed expansion is counter to federal, state, and local policy, Deruyter said. Additional landfill capacity would encourage greater land disposal at a time when environmental protection, wise land use, an resource conservation principals need advancement, he said. It encourages people to reduce waste, reuse and recycle. Deruyter maintains the county and surrounding areas do not need additional landfill capacity.
Ample capacity is permitted at existing sites.
Groundwater, air, and the character of the landscape are all at risk, he said, and alternate disposal methods should be encouraged. According information from reporting by the landfills in Minnesota, the Yonak-FCR landfill, that is now owned by Superior, took in 117,977 cubic yards of garbage in 1995. In 1996, after the change of ownership, the landfill took in 790,450 cubic yards of garbage. If only garbage from the county were put into the landfill, it would take 50-60 years to reach capacity, he said. Therefore, logically, this garbage is coming from outside the county.