SR 85 Landfill Tour

Oops. I got behind in my internship blogging. I actually went on the landfill tour on October 23rd. I went with the other intern, and a couple of my co-workers. The landfill is out in Buckeye. Just think about that next time you throw something away...it has to get trucked all the way to Buckeye, almost to Gila Bend! The land is owned by the city and was opened in 2006. 

Here is a picture of the section of the landfill that is currently being used:

This is a view from far away, but you might be able to spot the semi-trucks dumping garbage, tarps to cover the trash, and water trucks that prevent dust.

Another view of the section currently in use:

In this photo, you can see the trucks driving to dump their loads:

There is a lot more to a landfill then it appears. The managers of the landfill who led our tour explained in detail. They are constantly trying to get the most efficient use out of the land and the space, while following EPA landfill regulations. 

There is a lot of land that is not being used currently, since the landfill is used in sections, with the trash being compacted and eventually buried. The city leases part of the land out to farmers. Here are some of the fields:

Cotton fields:

This is from the section of the landfill that is full, so has been buried. This is the road that is being built on it:

A landfill produces methane gas, which must be monitored. The landfill uses these flares to burn off the gas. These could be used for energy production:

This part of the landfill is going to be eventually used as a park, as part of the deal the City of Phoenix made with Buckeye:

I could probably write about 5 entries just on the landfill, but this is the basics. There is a lot more to a landfill then I had ever imagined, and the City is constantly thinking about ways to cost costs, be environmentally friendly, and save space.