Trash from outside Brunswick may allow the town to close its landfill earlier than previous projections.

Brunswick Public Works Director John Foster said the landfill could close as soon as 2020 — beating earlier estimates by about a year — thanks to money generated by an influx of out-of-town commercial waste.

That’s good news for a landfill that has become an environmental risk and has been cited by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

Landfill wastewater with higher than desirable levels of ammonia has been discharged into the Androscoggin River. The issue is especially prevalent during the winter, when it is difficult to treat the water for ammonia. Foster noted that the ammonia level is still well below that allowed at the sewer district’s wastewater treatment facility.

In addition to the ammonia issue, Foster said there is concern that water is percolating through the landfill and seeping into the ground, despite the landfill’s liner system.

The town council debated as far back in 2014 to close the landfill in response to a DEP demand that the town take action.

To speed the closure, the council granted the landfill permission to accept trash from outside of Brunswick, and hired Pine Tree Waste to broker waste from large commercial accounts. Foster estimates that six or seven trucks a day now dump waste at the landfill. However, the landfill is still not open to residents outside of Brunswick.

In accepting outside commercial waste, the town is generating revenue to cover the cost of closing the landfill, according to Brunswick Town Manager John Eldridge.

Foster estimated the deal has brought in more than $500,000 since July 2017, and Eldridge said waste volume has increased by nearly four times.

The town most recently had $858,000 in annual operating expenses for the landfill. The biggest chunk of change is the money set aside every year for the cost of closure.

The DEP has signed off on the accelerated closure plan — estimated to cost $6 million to $7 million — with some conditions. The town is eligible for up to a 75 percent state reimbursement as funds become available, according to Eldridge.

The landfill opened on Graham Road in 1984. Foster said it was designed to hold 410,000 tons of trash. As of June 30, 2017, it contained up to 334,000 tons. That left the town looking to receive around 20,000 tons a year to close early.

Once closed, the landfill will be capped to prevent the spread of contaminants.

Brunswick residents and businesses will still need a place to dump their garbage once the landfill closes. The town this year will explore its options, including funding.

dmoore@timesrecord.com