Jefferson City landfill expansion could add nearly two decades of capacity

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A proposed expansion of the Jefferson City landfill could extend its lifespan by nearly two decades, though the project drew little public attention during a hearing Wednesday evening.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources held its third and final opportunity for public comment on Republic Services’ proposal to expand the landfill at 5605 Moreau River Access Road. The meeting lasted about eight minutes, with fewer than a dozen members of the public attending. The only person to speak expressed support for the project on behalf of Solid Waste Management. No elected officials attended.

The proposed expansion would add approximately 15.2 acres to the landfill, which was permitted in 1979 and has operated for 47 years. The additional space would accommodate several types of waste, including construction and demolition debris, tires and concrete.

Craig Abbott, environmental manager for Republic Services and the city landfill, said the expansion is necessary because the landfill is nearing the capacity allowed under its current permit.

“At the beginning, to permit a landfill, you have an original design, right? So it has a waste footprint, it has a top, it has sides. We kind of call that the box. So you're trying to get as much trash in the landfill as you can,” Abbott said. “So we are to the point where that original permitted design is about full. We're about three and a half years from filling up. So over the last four years, we've been working to do a horizontal expansion that gets us about another 20 years.”

Republic estimates the expansion would provide an additional 18 years of capacity, according to David Drilling, engineering section chief for DNR’s Waste Management Program.

The project would expand the landfill horizontally rather than significantly increasing its height.

“We have to expand. And it's important for the people to understand that they're not going to see much difference in height on the landfill,” Abbott said. “Essentially, what you're going to see now is that footprint, that landfill, come in just a little bit closer to Shamrock Road.”

Discussions about the expansion began about four years ago, when Republic and its consultants started working on the proposal. The permitting process began in October 2022, when the company requested a preliminary site investigation from DNR.

Drilling said the review process includes evaluating the site's geology and the systems designed to protect the environment.

“One of the biggest components is making sure it's geologically sound. That starts with the Missouri Geological Survey. They do our preliminary site investigation and our detailed site investigation. They are looking at the geology, making sure that groundwater can be monitored at the site," Drilling said. "We take a look at that when the construction permit gets to us. MGS has already decided that it is monitored and that it's a geologically sound site. So we're reviewing things like the liner design. The final cover design, the leachate extraction system. That kind of stuff.”

Republic submitted its construction permit application on Dec. 15, 2025. DNR has one year to review the application, and the department is approaching that deadline.

“Our permit process is fairly lengthy. We started this in October of 2022, when Republic requested a preliminary site investigation for the site. We are nearing the end,” Drilling said. “We have a year to review the construction permit. They submitted that December 15 of 2025. So we're coming up on that deadline here within the next six, seven, eight weeks.”

DNR has received limited public feedback during the permitting process. Drilling said an earlier public awareness session raised questions about whether enough cover soil was available at the site.

“We had some initial comments during the public awareness session on the availability of cover soils at the site," Drilling said. "We paid pretty close attention to that while we were viewing the application, and it is adequate. So, it's been pretty minimal at this site.”

Abbott said the company also saw limited participation during two previous public meetings held as part of the four-year permitting process.

“In the four years, this will be our third public hearing. We had to do one originally here, at the very, very beginning of the permitting process," Abbott said. "Same participation, not many people. Then we had to do one about halfway through at our facility, inviting people in so we could take tours and stuff. No opposition. And then tonight, as you can see, no opposition either.”

If the expansion moves forward, Republic would eventually need to begin planning for additional landfill capacity. Abbott said that process would start years before the proposed expansion reaches capacity.

“About 10years, eight years prior to the new expansion being filled up we’ll start to look at the next phase,” Abbott said. “We want to be a good steward. We want to be a good partner with Jeff City, not only Jeff City, but the surrounding communities that we serve.”