Years after plans were filed, Columbus wants to hear from public on landfill expansion
It’s been years since Columbus filed plans to make changes to the Pine Grove Landfill, but city officials will take a big step forward this week in efforts to get approval to expand the landfill’s capacity.
Columbus Consolidated Government wants permission to use more airspace at the landfill site, alleviating concerns that the landfill is running out of room. Monte Jones, a consultant with the solid waste consulting firm Atlantic Coast Consulting of Alpharetta, said the expansion is critical because the landfill’s airspace is expected to be depleted by January next year. The city will host a public meeting May 29 at 5:30 p.m. about the changes, and resident feedback is encouraged.
Long wait to move forward with plans
The Columbus Consolidated Government developed design and operational plans to modify the site, Columbus Public Works director Drale Short told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email.
Officials submitted the plans to the Environmental Protection Division in August 2021, Jones told the Columbus Council in a Feb. 11 meeting.
“Those plans sat with EPD for two-and-a-half years before they responded on it,” Jones said. “That is an unusual timeline with EPD.”
There were multiple follow-ups by CCG and ACC in an effort to expedite the required review, he said, but they didn’t gain traction until 2024.
After EPD provides its approval, the public hearing will be the last step before the expansion can move forward.
If the expansion goes through, the available areas of the landfill, referred to as Phases 1-4, will have space until October 2035.
Suggestion made to make landfill space last longer
The landfill has east and west areas. The expansion that city officials want approved would help maintain more space in the East Landfill. But Jones is recommending the city start construction to use space in the West Landfill, in Phases 5 and 6, as well.
“I do want to stipulate that you’re at the point right now that that air space is going to be pretty hard to get in those terraces,” Jones said, referring to sloped hills called terraces in the landfill. “You probably don’t want that to be the only place that you have to put garbage because it’s difficult airspace.”
Adding the West Landfill space along with the vertical expansion would extend the landfill’s capacity to 2062. The Columbus Council unanimously approved utilizing about $1.3 million on Feb. 25 to start opening Phase 5 in the landfill ahead of receiving approval from EPD for the vertical expansion.
Now that EPD has reviewed the plans for the vertical expansion, the city is holding the required public hearing per the Georgia Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Act, Short said.
The complete plan for the landfill will be available at the hearing, which will be held in the council chamber at the City Services Center, 3111 Citizens Way, off Macon Road.
This story was originally published May 28, 2025 at 4:17 PM.
