Land Board agrees to study Solid Waste District land exchange
REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI)-The Idaho Land Board agreed Tuesday to allow the Idaho Department of Lands to proceed with a due diligence review of a proposed land exchange with the Eastern Idaho Regional Solid Waste District.
The district is proposing to exchange approximately 1,200 acres of dry-land cropland for a section of about 1,200 acres of state land 15 miles east of Rexburg in Madison County. The district is seeking the state ground because it meets environmental guidelines, has better public access, and enough room to serve the region for many years into the future.
The district, which includes Clark, Fremont, Madison and Bonneville Counties, said the new landfill site would offer lower cost to residents than other alternatives. Right now, communities within the district are transporting household waste to land in Jefferson County, an 80 mile roundtrip.
The district is purchasing the ground from a private landowner. It can’t purchase the state property directly because of a law restricting the state from selling property if the parcel is larger than 320 acres. Public meetings with adjacent landowners will be held before the deal is complete. The Land Board’s due diligence process is expected to take about 6 months. The district has already put earnest money on the private property.
The district hopes to begin construction on the site this summer or fall. It will cost about $10 million. The bond would be repaid by a bond, secured by tipping fees, according to district officials.
