Planning for the Future

 

The North Ravine Cell Landfill

In 2004, following an intensive public involvement process, the Board of Ada County Commissioners directed the Solid Waste Management Department to proceed developing additional landfill capacity for the County's solid waste disposal needs. The site chosen by the Commissioners is north of the existing landfill and is called the "North Ravine Cell."

On June 28, 2005, the Director of the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality certified the North Ravine site as in compliance with Idaho Code Section 39-7407 - Site Certification. The process of "site certification" involved a thorough investigation of the proposed location including such items as subsurface conditions, depth to groundwater, active faults, distance to airports, lakes and rivers, and local land use.

In March 2006, Western Construction, Inc. began construction of Stage 1 of the North Ravine. Work on Stage 1 was completed in 2007.

Beginning in March 2009, construction of Stage 2 will start. Following a competitive proposal process, Ada County selected Hap Taylon & Sons dba Knife River Construction as the general contractor for Stage 2. Construction of Stage 2 took roughly 12 months.

The total capacity of the North Ravine Cell will be constructed in phases. Over the next 60 years, new phases will be added about one every other year. The ultimate capacity of the North Ravine Cell should provide solid waste disposal for the citizens, businesses and institutions of Ada County for roughly  70 to 100 years.

The North Ravine Cell is truly a long-term response to the County's solid waste disposal needs. Coupled with community-wide waste diversion efforts, such as curbside recycling, recycling at the landfill, and waste reduction efforts, the North Ravine Cell will meet the demands for an environmentally safe, economically sound solid waste disposal system.