The volume of waste in 2024 that went into the Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority’s landfill was the second lowest in the last six years.
Annual tonnage in 2024 was 131,995 tons compared to 133,906 tons in 2023, 132,249 tons in 2022, and 141,150 tons in 2021, according to figures provided at GLRA’s board meeting Tuesday. In 2020, the year of the pandemic, tonnage was 128,256.
As a result of the lower tonnage in 2024, revenues from tipping fees were 3.4 percent below budget for the year. The good news: the year’s expenses were 14.3 percent below budget.
GLRA executive director Robert “Skip” Garner attributed the lower tipping revenues to the commercial and construction-and-demolition sectors. Fluctuation is common in the construction industry, but a major commercial customer that had been landfilling produce was now channeling it to food banks, he said.
James Zendek, GLRA engineering manager, updated the board on recommendations from two feasibility studies — one on leachate pre-treatment options and the other on possible replacement of the scale house — to be used in future planning.
Leachate refers to the liquid that drains or leaches from a landfill as waste decomposes. Landfills not only have liners to prevent leachate from migrating to groundwater but also have systems that collect and remove leachate for treatment.
GLRA typically sends about 1 million gallons of leachate a month to the City of Lebanon Authority’s (COLA) wastewater facility for treatment.
Recently, COLA set a High Strength Waste Surcharge Fee and new sewer rate for industries such as GLRA that contribute higher concentrations of organic and inorganic matter into the waste stream than residential and commercial users. In GLRA’s case, the issue is ammonia.
Pre-treating GLRA’s leachate before it goes to COLA would decrease the surcharge. But an option for pre-treatment — construction of a new facility — would cost around $13.5 million, Zendek told the board.
“That’s a large upfront cost to save money in the long term,” Zendek said.
The other feasibility study investigated whether a new scale house should be built for the Heilmandale landfill. The current scale house, built in the early 1990s on the south side of Russell Road, primarily serves the Schilling landfill, which is nearing capacity and is slated to close this year.
The recommendation from the feasibility study was to build a new scale house north of Russell Road that would better serve the Heilmandale landfill, also north of Russell Road.
“We are only in the preliminary stages of this project which is to determine what course of action we should pursue in the future,” Zendek said in an email Wednesday.
In other business, the board learned:
- DEP conducted a routine site inspection on Dec. 2. No violations were noted.
- GLRA was awarded a grant of $222,222 from DEP to fund 100 percent of the cost of curbside recycling collection bins/lids and carts.
- GLRA recycled 171.85 tons of electronics, including almost 4.8 tons of batteries, at its electronic recycling facility in 2024.
- GLRA has applied for a grant from the America the Beautiful Grant Program to plant native flowers and grasses in five areas ranging from 5 acres to 17 acres and totaling 54 acres. If the grant is approved, the plantings would support wildlife and pollinators.
The board of the Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority meets at 1800 Russell Road. The next meeting will be 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 4. These meetings are open to the public and do not require registration.
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