La Crosse County may need to begin search for new landfill soon

La Crosse County needs to start looking for a new landfill soon.

The current landfill will be at capacity around 2048, according to La Crosse County Solid Waste Department director Jadd Stilwell, who talked with the county board Monday.

And while 25 years may seem like a long time, the county can’t sit around too long without making future plans for solid waste.

Stilwell said the site probably cannot be enlarged, so planning for a new location may need to start in a year or two.

The landfill was recently used to dispose of waste from the large train derailment this spring near De Soto, Wis.

Stilwell said how fast the landfill gets to capacity will depend partly on how much waste can be sent, instead, to the Xcel incinerator on French Island.

The county’s current contract to burn garbage at Xcel ends in 2030.