Small landfills in Colorado once facing closure and fines are now getting help from the state.
As Colorado Public Radio reports, a recent state regulatory crackdown on smaller Colorado landfills has resulted instead in the Department of Public Health and Environment providing financial assistance for 19 of those landfills to get up to code in the next five years.
The threat of closures and fines arose from the state's Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) increasing enforcement of groundwater monitoring at smaller landfills that accept up to 20 tons of waste per day. The change initially caused some tension between the CDPHE and landfill owners – many in rural counties or towns - who said they couldn’t afford to bring their facilities up to code.
The two groups devised a plan to help landfill owners face their financial challenges, including a waiver of a document review few and a commitment from the CDPHE to pay for all groundwater analysis at all 19 landfills from $1.6 million appropriated by the legislature in 2016.
