Dive Brief:

• The Omaha City Council voted 4-3 on Sept. 12 to approve changes to the site of a construction and demolition debris landfill by amending a special-use permit, as reported by the Omaha World-Herald.
• The site's current owner, Eco Storage Investments, currently accepts non-putrescible scrap metal and electronics at the site. The company is selling this property to Lewis Clark Disposal and Recycling, contingent on approval of the permit change.
• Lewis Clark plans to invest $2 million into the site to close and cap the landfill and build a new material recovery facility. Local residents are concerned about odors, but the company has promised to work with them and will join the South Omaha Environmental Task Force.

Dive Insight:

Approving the permit change to accept putrescible material was a big issue for the community, known for environmental justice concerns in the past. The site first received a special-use permit for non-putrescible waste in 1994, and again in 1998, but nearby residents haven't always been pleased with its operations.

While Lewis Clark has recognized that some level of truck traffic and odors may be expected, the company pitched their project as a net benefit, because it involved capping the landfill. By constructing a MRF, the company also aims to offer more competitive prices and help reduce traffic around the city's only other MRF. Part of their proposal included background on how multiple team members had operated MRFs in residential areas before for other regional or national operations. The new special-use permit won't technically take effect until all facilities are complete, including misters, giving officials time to ensure compliance.

Lewis Clark is based in Illinois, servicing the southern part of the state and areas of Nebraska around Omaha. Earlier this year, Ironwood Capital announced that it had partnered with Laurel Mountain Partners on a subordinated debt and preferred equity investment in the company.