Delays in the construction of a new cell at the Allen County Landfill was a point of contention at Tuesday morning’s commission meeting. Contractors Richard Huthing and Will Rogers, with Halcomb Construction, approached the commission seeking clarity on the remaining work and compensation for the project.
In 2012, commissioners approved construction of two additional 10-acre cells within the next 15 to 20 years. One was constructed in 2014 at a cost of roughly $1.5 million. In February 2023, commissioners approved a bid of $2.36 million from Halcomb Construction of Nevada, Mo. The project began in March 2023 and was initially expected to be completed by March 2024.
Multiple change orders have caused delays in the completion date and the project remains unfinished.
Early on in the project, it was discovered the site did not provide the same abundance of fatty red clay the previous cell’s site boasted. As Halcomb Construction started clearing the area and stripping the topsoil, engineers with Schwab Eaton learned that the fatty clays were in limited availability. This first change order included a test pad exercise to determine the feasibility of adding bentonite to the site’s existing mix of sand and shale, lean clays.
In late August 2024, commissioners approved an additional 60-day extension to Halcomb Construction for the project, along with an additional payment of $129,072 for equipment and fuel. The extension was the project’s third, coming after commissioners approved a 45-day and subsequent 120-day extension.
“I want to finish the project,” said Huthing. “But, I would like to know where we stand on this latest change order. Will we get paid once it is completed?” Huthing referred to a change order that seeks an additional $195,000 for a 750-foot gas cut-off trench.
“There’s been some challenges with it (trench),” Rogers explained. He noted that they followed the same specifications for the trench’s protective liner that they had followed when they installed the cell’s liner. “That led us to excavate the trench entirely, as we were told to do,” he said.
Rogers said this has led to some issues. Challenges arose when it came to installing the protective liner as a single piece. With the trench being 20 feet deep and 3 feet wide, Rogers said it is unsafe to put men down in it. “This has kind of led to a hard process,” he said, referring to the liner installation.
Additionally, they have had to do some extensive rock excavation for the trench that they hadn’t originally planned. “Probably 80% of it is excavated and done,” he said. “We’ve talked with KDHE (Kansas Department of Health and Environment). They are allowing us to do the liner in sections rather than one whole piece.”
After the liner is installed, the trench will be filled with clean rock and used to help vent gas.
“For us to complete it with no kind of confirmation that we’ll get payment for it at the end of it — that’s where we’re at right now,” said Rogers. “We’re just looking for confirmation we will get paid.”
JARED BROOKS, of engineering firm Schwab Eaton, noted that the trench was to be completed by the end of October 2024, but was told by the contractors that it would instead be completed by March 15. Despite this, a certificate of substantial completion was issued for the cell in late December. As far as the trench work goes, Brooks said he has requested updated schedules from Halcomb Construction.
“We have some evaporators hanging out there that need to be installed and their suppliers have reached out to me,” explained Brooks. “It’s to the county’s benefit to get those in operation. They evaporate leachate from your ponds. I would like to see a schedule showing this work completed.”
Commissioner Jerry Daniels expressed his frustrations with the continuing delays.
“We’re wanting to know when it’s going to be finished,” Daniels said to Huthing and Rogers. “We want it done — that’s all we want.”
