Idaho Code provides the authority and the duty on counties to establish, maintain, and operate solid waste disposal districts for their citizens. Municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLFs) which accept household and other community non-industrial, non-hazardous waste are engineered facilities heavily regulated by multiple federal and state agencies.

The Code also enables counties to create regional districts to administer solid waste disposal in an efficient and cost-effective manner to meet the State’s solid waste needs.

A regional solid waste district may be established when two or more counties elect, by resolution of the commissioners of each county, to become participating members of a district. The boundaries of the regional solid waste district mirror the boundaries of the participating counties.

The Eastern Idaho Regional Solid Waste District was established in June 2010 to address solid waste disposal for counties in Eastern Idaho.

The Member Counties, Madison, Fremont, Clark, and Teton Counties, each face their own landfill capacity challenges, potential groundwater contamination, operational permit limitations, limited financial assurance for closure and post-closure care, inadequate equipment or infrastructure reserves, and regulatory compliance challenges. Some Member Counties transport waste to a Jefferson County’s Circular Butte landfill, an 80-mile roundtrip.

Member Counties are collaborating to address these challenges to accommodate future projected growth within the region with the planning and construction of a new best-in-class municipal solid waste landfill to serve the region well into the future.

The District’s service area encompasses 4,585 square miles and serves a population of approximately 79,000 residents.

The District does not have taxing authority. Ultimately, future costs will be reduced for taxpayers through regional consolidation of services and reduced landfill tipping fee costs. This regional collaboration provides a responsible solution to deliver essential services while conserving public resources.

The construction of a new lined MSWLF—just the seventh such facility in Idaho—will provide additional environmental protections for the region’s groundwater resources, especially important in rural and agricultural communities.