Lena Road Landfill is running out of space. How will Manatee County handle the trash?
The Lena Road Landfill in Bradenton is running out of space to handle all of Manatee County’s garbage and waste, but local officials proposed a plan that could extend the site’s lifespan by decades.
When Manatee County Government opened the landfill in 1972, the county had a population of 97,115 and the landfill had an estimated lifespan of 32 years. Fifty-two years later, Manatee County is growing rapidly, with an estimated population of about 460,000.
Over the years, Manatee County Government has expanded Lena Road’s footprint and capacity, and homeowners and solid waste contractors are still hauling refuse to the landfill at 3333 Lena Road, Bradenton.
When the landfill first opened, it sat on 132 acres. Since then, the county has increased its size to 316 acres.
The Bradenton Herald previously reported that the landfill would reach capacity in the 2040s, but a new plan would increase the site’s longevity.
Longer lifespan for Manatee landfill
Last August, Evan Pilachowski, then director of utilities for Manatee County, briefed county commissioners on the continuing search for a new landfill site.
And he also offered the welcome news that the landfill could have another 20 to 30 years of useful service with a few adjustments.
The landfill has three sections or stages. The first and second stages are permitted to 130 feet. The third stage is at 118 feet, and the county is seeking to increase its height by 10 feet.
County staffers calculate that by increasing the height of the third stage, expanding the footprint of the second stage and increasing the slope in selected areas, the landfill could have another three decades of use.
“Stages one and three are currently filled and we are filling stage two now,” said Pilachowski, who was promoted in October to deputy county administrator.
Manatee County commissioners were unanimous in their praise of the options county staff developed to extend the lifespan of the Lena landfill.
“It’s a unique, out-of-the-box solution,” Commissioner George Kruse said last August.
In addition to extending the lifespan of the landfill, the county may also be able to remove up to $2.5 million of soil used in closed cells to offset some of the cost of the proposed options, Pilachowski said.
County still searching for new location
Although the county has bought itself some time to find a replacement for the Lena landfill, the search remains a huge challenge.
Finding 1,500 acres of unused land away from developed areas and watersheds is not easy. So far, the county’s screening has identified about 40 parcels as potential sites.
Buying property now for a new landfill site rather than in the future has the additional benefit of costing less, Kruse said.
In 2019, a waste solution consulting firm estimated that Manatee could expect to pay between $53 million and $65 million for a 1,000-acre facility that would last about 50 years. A 3,000-acre site was estimated to cost between $69 million and $87 million.
The larger site would last through the end of the century.
Construction could start in the 2050s, depending on permitting.
Glen Compton, chairman of environmental watchdog group Manasota-88, said that while the county undertakes the difficult process of finding a new landfill site, it will need to continue actively monitoring the Lena Road facility.
“The problem is that all landfill liners tear over time because of age,” he said.
Because finding a new landfill site is so difficult, communities need to reduce the amount of material going into the landfill through recycling, he said.
Another concern is the disposal of debris from hurricanes, which can send enormous amounts of debris to landfills,
“Hurricanes are so unpredictable,” Compton said.
This story was originally published February 21, 2024 at 5:50 AM.
