Some changes could be coming to the Allen County Landfill concerning the disposal of tires and electronics.
County leaders will pursue plans to create new, separate spaces to collect both items after consulting with an engineer.
Jared Brooks, with Schwab Eaton of Manhattan, met with commissioners and Public Works Director Mitch Garner on Tuesday morning to address ongoing issues concerning the landfill.
First, tires.
The current cell at the landfill has just about reached its limit for tire collection, Brooks said. There’s probably less than 10 feet left before it reaches its maximum permit level.
Last week, commissioners met with Shane Lamb, owner of a tire recycling business. Lamb’s business, FMS/United Tire, has dumped nearly 2,000 tons of shredded tires at the landfill in the past six months.
Commissioners were concerned because of the space issue, and also because Lamb’s business was being charged a lower rate for county-based businesses even though much of his product comes from outside the county. They did not address the rate issue at Tuesday’s meeting.
Brooks suggested they create a different dumping site for tires. It’s generally not wise to dump tires alongside other garbage, he said.
“They can cause issues because they don’t compact well with other waste and have a tendency to float up, which can cause problems when you install your final cover,” he said. “And they’re harder to extinguish when you have a fire.”
Waste tires and industrial rubber can be stored differently than other types of material, he said. While the primary collection site must meet stringent regulations, particularly regarding the lining at the base, that’s not true for tires.
They must be cut with the sidewall removed, but they could be stored in what’s called a monofill site where they could be removed later.
Brooks suggested the county use a location south of a leachate pond near the quarry. It could take about six months to go through a permit process through the state.
Commissioners asked Brooks and Garner to start that process. They also were intrigued by the potential that the tire material could be dug up in the future and sold for recycling. 
Batteries and fires
Landfills across the country are experiencing more fires, with lithium ion batteries usually suspected as the cause, Brooks said.
