KXLT - Fox 47 Rochester MN News, Weather and SportsOlmsted County works toward zero waste

Olmsted County works toward zero waste

ROCHESTER, Minn. (FOX 47) --  There may be a new life for the Kalmar landfill.

The Olmsted County Waste to Energy facility recently started operating a third and much larger incinerator.

The landfill is looking to purchase two new pieces of equipment that will ultimately take all the waste, except industrial, and will have it burned at the waste to energy facility, where it will be used for further energy.

Employees at the landfill and the Waste to Energy facility are trying to get approval for new equipment that will ultimately eliminate the need for a new landfill.

Currently, the process provides energy to 36 different buildings including Olmsted County Public Health and the Mayo Civic Center.

The sorting and digging machines, will aid in substantially reducing the filled space at the landfill and employees say that will ultimately pay for the machines.

Dennis Siems of the Olmsted County Landfill explains, "If we weren't going to do this program, I'm going to have to build a new landfill cell this year. If we weren't going to start doing this I would have to buy a new landfill compacter. And if we don't do this I have to do a closer on that 85,000 acres."

This new process is predicted to give the landfill an extra 100 year life span.