The Indiana Department of Environmental Management shared the permit information for Waste Management’s “vertical expansion” plans at the Crossroads Eco Center Landfill in Morristown.
The full permit – Morristown Waste Management Plant Permit 73-01 – can be accessed on IDEM’s Virtual Filing Cabinet, VFC #83691865.
The permit includes the application for proposed modifications to the landfill, including an increase in the top of waste grade elevations resulting in a calculated airspace gain of 23,050,206 cubic yards in addition to the currently permitted airspace volume.
“The proposed modifications do not expand the horizontal footprint of the solid waste disposal area,” the application said.
This expansion comes as a result of increased need, the application said.
Between 2021-2023, the landfill received waste from 45 counties in Indiana, three counties in Ohio, two counties in Kentucky and one county in Alabama, according to Solid Waste Quarterly Reporting Waste Received Reports IDEM published. In 2023, the landfill received approximately 722,000 tons of waste for disposal (2,525 tons per day).
At the local level, the majority of the tonnage from 2021-2023 came from Marion County (712,339.32 tons), followed by Shelby County (351,379.88 tons).
Based on that data, future waste receipts are anticipated to average 6,500 tons per day over the next 20 years, the application said. The expansion would provide space for an additional 12.6 million tons of disposal capacity, extending the life of the landfill by 10.3 years.
Without the expansion, the landfill would reach capacity by 2033.
IDEM has received letters of support from the Town of Morristown, City of Shelbyville, and State Rep. Cory Criswell along with the permit application.
“The proposal would allow for the continued operation of the facility to service future solid waste needs of Indiana,” Criswell wrote. “As you know, Indiana is a state on the move, and we must ensure we have all the resources necessary to meet growth opportunities presented to our state. This includes proper landfill capacity management and providing disposal options for residents and businesses of Indiana for years to come.”
Maps in Appendix H of the application showcase the existing height of the different cells of the landfill and proposed heights. As of August 2024, when the application was submitted, the landfill’s peak is listed at 1,000 feet. The projected work would raise the peak to 1,180 feet. The maps also have the peak shifting one cell over to the west.
In addition to the modifications, the permit application also includes updated stormwater, stability, HELP Model, pipe crushing and revised universal soil loss equation calculations based on the final cover redesign. Many of the documents in the application are technical documents related to ensuring the landfill will not collapse under weather or service events.