MADISON, WISC. (EXCPERTS FROM NBC15.COM and LANDFILL.COUNTYOFDANE.COM) – In preparation for the less than 10 years of landfill space left at the Rodefeld Landfill, the Dane County Department of Waste and Renewables is preparing to start initial plans for a new waste campus to “redesign how the community’s waste is managed.”
The project is proposed for the eastern portion of the Yahara Hills Golf Course.
Dane County Department of Waste & Renewables said its vision of the campus will boost economic development in the area and create jobs by including waste processors, recycling businesses and research and startup companies. It also said it hopes to create reusable material opportunities.
“The Dane County Department of Waste & Renewables has a long history of completing successful, innovative projects like the Renewable Natural Gas Plant and Offload Station, Construction and Demolition Recycling Facility, native prairie cover on the landfill, and the Trash Lab mobile education exhibit,” Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said.
Dane County said it hopes to include in the project, proposed to be on the east side of the Yahara Hills Golf Course, a business park as well as an organics processing facility, a waste education center and a landfill.
Dane County and the City of Madison hired SCS Engineers and Vandewalle & Associates to help with the campus development.
Comprehensive planning efforts for the Sustainability Campus begin the summer of 2023, and local teams from SCS Engineers and Vandewalle & Associates have been selected as consultants to lead this process. These firms will work with the County to plan and host community workshops that will provide the opportunity for public engagement and input into our master planning process. They will also start to engage with businesses to find potential waste diversion business partners for the Campus. This work will also evaluate the business case for diverting various waste materials, such as mattresses, food waste, plastics, and other materials. The firms will summarize their findings in a comprehensive plan that provides a robust development framework for the Sustainability Campus.
In the broadest terms, the project focuses on recreation including restoration; reuse and resale; waste streams recycling; and organics management. The master plan is expected to develop specific opportunities and implementation programs within these areas.
