(Atlantic) Cass County Transfer Station Director Brandi Mericle says there appears to be a misconception the Landfill is closed. The answer is no. Mericle says as of July 1; the only change was the landfill became a transfer station.
“All that means is when we receive garbage, it’s loaded onto a transfer trailer and taken to a much larger landfill,” explained Mericle. “The open hill is no longer taking garbage. Most people will not notice a change. We have had a unique facility for years where people unloaded their garbage inside the building so that they won’t notice a difference.”
Mericle says the changeover was a financial decision. “Landfills are much more complicated than a hill with a large hole where garbage is dumped,” said Mericle. “Landfills require DNR specified liners and circulation systems and engineering fees. Those costs were strictly prohibitive. The next cell would have cost close to one million dollars, putting us upside down almost immediately because each cell does not last that long. Transferring the garbage out is less expensive than burying the garbage here.”
The Cass County Transfer facility houses recycling bins. Residents can bring plastics, glass, cardboard, and paper.
