If you live near Knott Landfill in Bend, you may have heard a loud explosion Friday.
Yes, that was at the landfill.
Deschutes County released video of rock blasting. It’s a routine measure which is part of the effort to ensure that the landfill can continue to be used until 2029, when it’s expected to reach capacity.
“At Knott Landfill, we do excavation for constructing our line cells out here to protect groundwater,” said Chad Centola, Deschutes County Solid Waste Director. “And the entire property is overlain with about 30 feet of solid rock on the surface. So the first step in excavation is blasting rock. And that rock is actually a resource. We use it here at the landfill. We share rock with the road department for highway and road maintenance and we also work with local contractors on public works projects. They’ll take that shot rock and crush it and make it into speck grade material for various uses.”
RELATED: Deschutes County presented criteria for next landfill
RELATED: Landfill 40-times larger than Knott may come to Lake County
Criteria for exploring 12 potential locations for a new landfill was presented to Deschutes County Commissioners last month. Three final areas are chosen by March of next year.
The plans call for more than just a landfill, but a solid waste management facility. Used for more than just garbage, but things like recycling, energy production and composting.
See our reporting about a potential landfill in Lake County that would be 40-times the size of Knott
