Harper County about to bury local landfill option

Waste Connections’ new landfill in Harper County began accepting trash last week from Sumner and Cowley counties, and it plans to start receiving Wichita’s trash by mid-February, after an access road is completed, The Hutchinson News reported. If those plans proceed — opponents are still trying to get the courts to block the landfill, but they are unlikely to succeed –there likely won’t be enough trash volume left in Sedgwick County to financially justify a local landfill.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

5 Comments

  1. JWink
    Posted January 24, 2006 at 9:41 pm | Permalink

    What a tragedy. This Harper County landfill has the potential to poison an always flowing, spring-fed Kansas stream, the great Chickaskia River. As I recall, it begins south of Cunningham, Kansas, somewhere down near the little Catholic community hidden in the valley, St. Leo, Kansas. In fact the source of the Chickaskia River might be from beer kegs left over from weekly Catholic ceremonies! The downstream cities of Ponca City and Tulsa have always depended on this water source.

    Of course, Harper County will presumable get rich at Sedgwick County’s expense again. How often does this happen?

    The logical site for our landfill is the “Furley site” in northeast Sedgwick County. This site is already owned by Sedgwick County taxpayers. Engineers say the clay soil there is perfect for a landfill. The drivability is better for Sedgwick County trash haulers. And, horror of horrors, Sedgwick County citizens would benefit financially from disposal of their own trash.

    Just another Sedgwick County screw-up in a long list of similar screw-ups.

  2. Ed Friedemann
    Posted January 27, 2006 at 4:44 pm | Permalink

    A picture of Israel with a bulldozer on the top. How quaint.

  3. Ben Huie
    Posted January 27, 2006 at 4:54 pm | Permalink

    JWink – maybe we should progress as far as the 20th century and recycle half and burn half with energy recovery.

  4. JWink
    Posted January 27, 2006 at 6:02 pm | Permalink

    Ben Huie: I agree with you — the first step should be an effective recycling program as Paul and Margaret Miller and their recycling organization have been promoting for years. This should include a pickup system.

    And your idea of an energy recovery program should be next. The Wichita/Sedgwick area is in position to be the world leader in this effort because of presence of the four airplane builder companies with staffs of engineers and heavy duty metal construction people. Surely leaders of one of these airplane construction companies can see financial potential of developing state-of-the-art incinerators for world-wide use.

    In my opinion, the most logical location for incinerators would be adjacent to electrical power plants.

    After all, the future of the petroleum-feuled airline industry might be over in another 40 years or so. In fact, it looks to me like major airline transportation companies will soon be owned by companies/countries that control their own oil supplies. Will this include the U.S.?

  5. Chris G.
    Posted October 26, 2006 at 4:45 pm | Permalink

    Jwink did you really think that “Of course, Harper County will presumable get rich at Sedgwick County’s expense again. How often does this happen? ” I live in the rear end of Harper county and let me tell you that the common people of Harper Co. are not going to get rich off of Wichita trash. That is one of the most stupid things I have heard in awhile. Allot of people from Harper Co. didnt want all of your trash and did their best to mess up the deal with waste connections but at last the landfill went in. I personally am glad to have your trash because maybe now Harper Co. can afford some upkeep on our county roads & bridges. That would sure be a change. I’m sorry you feel that you should have kept your trash in your county I know alot of people down here would love to dump it back on ya if you really find a place to put it. And lastly to your question of how often does Harper Co. get rich off you why don’t you turn that around because I know tons of Harperites who spend the almighty buck in Wichita when they need a new freezer, washer, lumber from lumber yards, cars and more. So who do you think makes more off each other per year?