Dive Summary:
- La Paz County, Ariz., announced Tuesday Wednesday that it would issue a request for proposals (RFP) as it seeks to find companies interested in operating a 160-acre, 24-million-ton capacity landfill, which is about 300 miles east of Los Angeles.
- A pre-bid meeting is expected to take place on Sept. 12, after the RFP is officially issued and made available on the La Paz County website.
- The landfill's new operator will be responsible for transferring and disposing of residential trash delivered to facilities across La Paz County, in addition to providing recycling services and capacity for local industries and private haulers.
From the press release:
PARKER, Arizona — September 5, 2012 — La Paz County, Arizona, Supervisors announced that the County will issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking qualified companies interested in operating a large, well-located landfill with public support for importing municipal and special waste via rail or truck. The 160-acre landfill is permitted for up to approximately 24,000,000 tons capacity, with another 480 contiguous acres controlled by the County that could potentially develop capacity estimated at up to an additional 75,000,000 tons. The fully permitted, Subtitle D landfill has been in operation since 1994 in a remote desert location approximately 300 miles east of Los Angeles.
The RFP is expected to be released this week, with a pre-bid meeting tentatively scheduled for September 12. The Request for Proposals will be available at the La Paz County website: http://www.co.la-paz.az.us/.
The landfill site is located 15 miles from the nearest resident, near the Arizona/California border between Parker and Quartzsite on AZ State Highway 95. Transportation access is provided via Interstate 10 and The BNSF Railway Company and Rail America to a 2,400-foot rail siding located six miles north of the landfill. A rail spur and/or heavy truck road right-of-way to the landfill is entitled with provisions planned in the short term to allow heavy trucks to access the landfill from the rail siding. With no daily tonnage limits, the site historically has received both municipal solid waste and special waste streams from California. The operator would assume operating responsibilities for the landfill in December 2013.
La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin said they are seeking proposals from “financially capable waste operators that will recognize the unique economic advantages of the site and align interests in a public-private partnership to maximize revenues to both parties from its operations.” The County has retained experts from Mintz Levin, Strategic Management and Michael Brown Consulting Engineers to assist them with the proposal and contracting process, which will require proposers to provide detailed information including waste marketing plans, waste commitments to the site, landfill development, operations and closure methods, and history of working with governmental entities. The operator will be expected to provide transfer and disposal for a small volume of residential trash delivered to transfer facilities throughout the County, as well as to provide recycling services and capacity for local industries and private haulers.
