EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The City celebrated on Monday the expansion of the Greater El Paso landfill.

The City said the landfill has been expanded by 65 acres with the construction of six new cells.

RECOMMENDED: Proposed 17-mile natural gas pipeline for Project Jupiter data center under review

The City added that the expansion cost $20 million and is expected to provide El Pasoans with 12 more years of landfill space.

Describing the construction of the new cells, the City said the project involved removing more than two million cubic yards of dirt, installing liners to protect the ground and groundwater, and adding a system that collects and manages the liquid discharge from decomposing waste.

The Greater El Paso landfill. Credit: City of El Paso

The Greater El Paso landfill. Credit: City of El Paso

“It’s not just your normal landfill,” said El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson, adding that the landfill has technology installed to make sure waste stays compacted and doesn’t get out into the environment.

Looking into the future, Nicholas Ybarra, the director of Environmental Services for the City of El Paso, said the City is looking at a new permit for a new landfill that could give the City 100 years’ worth of capacity to start building it in the next five or six years.

RECOMMENDED: WWII-era B-17, B-25 return to El Paso area in April; public can book flights

The Greater El Paso landfill is located at 2600 Darrington Road in Clint and is open Monday through Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Fees begin at $16 per truckload for waste weighing less than one ton.

According to the City, on average, the landfill receives 2000 tons of waste per day.

The Greater El Paso landfill. Credit: City of El Paso

The Greater El Paso landfill. Credit: City of El Paso

This is the first expansion after the last one was done in 2018.

According to the City, the expansion was funded by the solid waste fees homeowners pay.

Comment with Bubbles

BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT

Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.