Digging into the future of local waste management often turns up plenty of dirt, gravel, and routine excavation work. Every once in a while, though, the earth pushes back with a prehistoric surprise.
Emerine Contracting from Anaconda recently met an immovable force at the Flathead County Solid Waste District Landfill Expansion. Deep in the excavation pit, crews were stopped in their tracks by a massive, ancient boulder.
The landfill has served our community since 1971. Work is underway on an adjacent 121-acre parcel to the south, with up to 74 acres dedicated to active waste disposal. But as contractors dig the foundation for the new disposal cell (slated to open in 2028), this glacial giant decided to steal the spotlight.
Standing an estimated 16 feet high and 20 feet wide, the visible portion alone commands serious attention. Moving it is another story entirely.
“The two large Komatsu excavators on site couldn't budge it.” said Public Works Director Dave Prunty.
Tipping the scales at an estimated 150 to 210 tons, the behemoth effortlessly outweighs the standard 40- to 50-ton capacity of the contractor's haul trucks. With heavy machinery humbled by Mother Nature's handiwork, project engineers SWT Engineering are now bringing in the big guns and requesting the contractor to provide a cost estimate from blasting specialists to break the titan down to a manageable size.
“We’ll have to blast it to get it out of the hole,” Prunty added.
It turns out preparing for the next generation of regional growth sometimes means reckoning with the valley's deep (and giant) geological past. For now, the "Landfill Monster" sits at the bottom of a muddy pit, enjoying its brief moment of fame and awe.