Tiverton Looks To Study How To Close The Landfill

Tiverton’s landfill has roughly eight feet left of height before it reaches maximum capacity in the next few years, and town officials are looking at what they can do now before the landfill will have to be closed.

Town Administrator James Goncalo said recently that 2014 is the year the town predicts the landfill, located next to the , will have to be closed.

Goncalo is suggesting the town spend $27,700 in the ’ budget on a study of the landfill, where approximately 33 acres are filled. If approved, the town would hire an engineering company to compare the height of the landfill to determine how many years it has left. A portion of it is already closed.

In the meantime, the town plans to strengthen its recycling efforts to extend the life of the landfill, such as implementing a pay-as-you-throw program, which will be coming up for a on the contract soon. Once the landfill reaches capacity, Tiverton will have to decide whether to haul its trash to the state’s only other landfill, the Central Landfill in Johnston.

Goncalo said it is too early to tell whether that will be the case, or if the town can put in a transfer station.

Looking at the recently released 2010 landfill report, Goncalo said in January 2010 the town recycled roughly 144 tons, and in January 2011 the town recycled roughly 161 tons. The recycling figures are provided by the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation.

“We still need to get more people to recycle,” he said.

Goncalo added the town continues enforcing the “no bin, no barrel” policy, enacted in 2009, where garbage is only picked up if residents put out their recycling bins, too. Director of Public Works Stephen Berlucchi said in 2010 the town brought in an estimated 6,300 tons to the landfill, and had about 6,000 tons in 2009.

Regarding recycling, Berlucchi echoed that he hopes to see the recycling number continue to increase once pay-as-you-throw starts.

Landfill operator Kim Litchfield is one of only two employees tasked with running the landfill when it’s open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. He helps move trash discarded by disposal companies, as well as directing residents where to bring other materials to be recycled, such as electronic waste and mattresses.

“Ten years ago these were not being recycled,” he said.

Litchfield said the people showing up now fluctuate, but there are not many. However, come spring-cleaning season, he said there will be an average of 325 people at the landfill on a Saturday.

"We're not the central landfill," added Litchfield, talking about their efforts.