Food scrap program to continue and expand

The food scraps composting program at the Dubuque-area landfill has a path forward — but a more limited growth capacity than its enthusiasts would like. At a meeting of the City of Dubuque’s Resilient Community Advisory Commission on Thursday, the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency’s Administrator Ken Miller said that staff have a plan to overcome a recent permitting problem with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which would have required either a halt in service or a plan for improvements by Oct. 19. The stormwater improvements should be made next spring and that the plan for them satisfied the DNR’s requirements for the landfill to remain a state-permitted facility without interruption.