ROCKY RIDGE LANDFILL (RRL)
OPERATING HOURS
Monday and Wednesday from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
OPEN ALL MAJOR HOLIDAYS EXCEPT New Year’s, Thanksgiving & Christmas Days
Location & Permits
The RRL is located across Kachemak Bay from the KPB main road system, 1.5 miles south of the town of Seldovia on Rocky St. within Sec. 6, T9S, R14W, S.M., AK. The current Class III Landfill ADEC permit, SW3A026-26, expires in June 2024.
Background
The KPB previously operated the Class III Seldovia Landfill from 1978-2004 on land leased from the Seldovia Native Association.
In 2003 the KPB contracted a professional consultant to perform a feasibility study of a 125-acre parcel found for sale by the University of Alaska for possible relocation. It was determined the selected parcel met the long-term solid waste needs of the community and the parcel was purchased. The landfill sits on 20 acres of this parcel, 7.5 of which are designated for landfill activities, with the other 12.5 reserved as a buffer. It serves about 420 year round residents. RRL is the largest of the KPB’s Class III landfills.
Construction
The site was constructed in the spring of 2004 and opened July 1 of that year. Site development for Cell 1 and Cell 2 included the a 3.5-acre footprint for Cell 1, an access road, driving pads, a waste fill area, and an attendant building. The burn box was manufactured and installed at the site in 2005.
Landfill expansion, as waste fill progresses, requires blasting and rock removal to generate airspace according to the site development plan. The first phase of an expansion project was planned as a capital project in FY14. An opportunity to allow rock extraction and export for a Homer project presented itself in 2014, and a commercial quantity material contract was executed between KPB and a general contractor. KPB Land Management obtained a conditional land use permit in September 2014 to use 2.6 acres of the parcel as a material site for the production and processing of hard rock and related materials. The materials contract was administered by KPB Land Management in 2014-2015 and created approximately 35,000 cubic yards of airspace and generated an estimated 2,000 cubic yards of cover material which greatly benefits the KPB at no cost.
Operations
An Operator under contract with the KPB operates the site and is responsible for supplying the equipment, manpower, and supplies necessary to perform all operational and maintenance duties of the landfill in a safe and orderly manner. Contracted services include, but are not limited to, monitoring activities during operating hours, conducting litter clean up, managing burn box operations, compacting and covering MSW and inert waste on a regular basis, and road access maintenance.
An estimated 500 to 1,500 cubic yards of landfill capacity is consumed annually with a projected life of 25+ more years.
Woody Debris/Brush is open burned on the ground periodically as weather permits with the remaining ash buried in the landfill.
Hazardous Waste
An annual HWCE is held in town in the fall allowing households and VSQGs an opportunity to dispose of this waste stream. The KPB’s hazardous waste management contractor manages the event and barges the waste to the Homer Transfer Facility in coordination with a collection event there.
Lead-acid batteries are accepted year round, stored in totes, and shipped out of the community on an as needed basis.
Recycling
Three recycling bins are used to collect aluminum cans and PETE #1 twist top containers and HDPE #2 plastics. When full, the bins are transported by the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry to the Homer Transfer Facility for management.
Environmental Monitoring
Five surface water sample points surrounding the landfill footprint are sampled bi-annually by a Borough contractor and tested for a wide variety of parameters. Baseline samples were collected in April 2004 before the landfill was constructed. Current sample data is compared to the baseline sample results to promptly identify any impacts the landfill may be having on surrounding surface water systems. No impacts have been identified to date.