Development of the Kalamazoo Group Landfill: A Multi-Mill Residuals Landfill, 1997 Environmental Conference Proceedings

Five paper mills in Michigan’s Kalamazoo River Valley have formed the Kalamazoo Valley Group (KVG) and have successfully permitted a paper mill residuals landfill. The joint monofill concept was originally developed in 1992 when the mills independently recognized the need to secure long-term waste disposal capacity. An options analysis concluded that a joint landfill would most effectively control the companies’ liabilities and reduce their unit costs, as well as provide a boost to the local economy since these mills generate approximately 50 percent of Kalamazoo County’s solid waste.

A site screening process resulted in the selection of a 0.8 square kilometers (200 acres) parcel as the preferred site for the landfill. The KVG completed an initial hydrogeologic investigation of the property to support the site’s inclusion in the county solid waste management plan, which is required under Michigan’s solid waste laws. Kalamazoo County was unsuccessful in developing their own plan, so the responsibility was given to the state regulatory agency, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR, now called the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, or MDEQ). On the basis of this information and other criteria evaluated by the MDNR, the property was included in the Kalamazoo County Plan. A landfill permit application was submitted to the state in late 1995 and approved by the MDEQ in March 1996.

Construction on the first cell of the landfill began in the fall of 1996.