Shawnee Approves Expansion of Johnson County Landfill

Date: September 19, 2002

Source: News Room

The Shawnee, Kansas City Council has approved the proposed expansion of the Johnson County Landfill. The additional space will extend through 2027 the useful life of the landfill, which handles 4,500 tons of trash a day from 12 counties in Kansas and Missouri. The expansion plan includes an amendment calling for Deffenbaugh to conduct an atmospheric study to determine the effect of the landfill on air quality in the surrounding area. The vote marks the final step in the process to approve the expansion, leaving residents opposed to the expansion without a forum for airing their concerns. The expansion involves 179 acres to the west of the landfill's operations on about 600 acres. In addition to an odor-elimination system, Deffenbaugh has agreed to improve its landscaping by planting trees and grasses on berms surrounding the expansion site. Deffenbaugh will pay the city a one-time fee of $1 million, as well as escalating fees for the estimated life of the landfill. After the first year, the fee would start at $250,000, growing to about $300,000 by the fifth year.

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