Does a 15-year limit apply to the lifespan of a landfill in Wisconsin?
No. Wisconsin statutes specify that a proposed landfill cannot be designed with more than 15 years’ capacity. The DNR reviews proposed landfills to ensure that this limit is adhered to in the design. However, once a landfill is built, if less waste is generated and the landfill continues to have space after 15 years of operation, it can continue to accept waste past that time until it reaches its originally approved design capacity. In part, this ensures that the approved final cover can be placed as planned and that it functions as designed.
