Sample ports to be installed at county's transfer station

The landfill cells project at the Whitman County's Waste Transfer Station advanced Tuesday with choosing of a contractor.

M.A. DeAtley of Clarkston, with a quote of $186,925, will build sample ports onto 11 gas vents across cells No. 1, 2 and 3 to use for monitoring methane gas escaping from the sealed cells, which were filled with garbage from the 1970s to the early 1990s when the landfill operation switched to hauling composted waste to a regional landfill.

The County Public works department called for a quote on the work last week. By law, work less than $200,000 does not have to go out to formal bid, it can be solicited from the county's small projects roster.

Three contractors were asked for quotes, and DeAtley was the lone firm to respond.

Discovered last year on a routine check, two of the gas vent airways – which allow methane gas to escape from the settling cell, covered in 1993 – were found bent over. Attaching new sample ports to each vent will allow for improved sampling.

Aside from allowing gas to escape, the vents also keep rainwater out.

The county expects the new ports to be in place sometime this fall.

“We would like it to be done yet this year,” said Mark Storey, county public works director.