By Cassie McClure and Suzanne Michaels
Published in Las Cruces Sun-News 3/22/20
This week, Las Cruces Utilities (LCU) began removing layers of old trash from the City of Las Cruces (City) Lohman Property (Pre-1965 Landfill) on the city’s eastside near the Las Alamedas/South Ridge Village subdivision. The old trash is being relocated to Corralitos Regional Landfill, west of town, along I-10.
To accomplish the task, LCU built a temporary “haul road” across from the entrance of the Old Foothills Landfill (OFL) at 555 S. Sonoma Ranch Blvd. Now 18-cubic-yard trucks are hauling old waste reaching from 4 to 11 feet deep from the approximately 10-acre site.
“We’ll be putting up signs for awareness, but we want residents to know that especially during peak drive times, please keep an eye out for turning trucks along Sonoma Ranch Blvd.,” says Fred Bourger, LCU Environmental & Technical Support project manager.
Excavation and hauling is expected to last 90 to 100 working days; trucks will not be using Paseo de Oñate, which leads into the nearby neighborhood.
LCU Heavy Equipment Operator Senior, Sonny Hernandez, who also helped construct the haul road, expects to load a truck every 15 minutes for maximum efficiency. The trucks will run from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Carl Clark, LCU deputy director Environmental & Technical Support, explained that any concerns of residents will be addressed: “We anticipate another public meeting to discuss the progress of the excavation, once we’ve been able to visually verify what is coming out of the ground.”
You can reach Las Cruces Utilities at 528-3500 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Las Cruces Utilities provides GAS – WATER – WASTEWATER – SOLID WASTE services to approximately 100,000 Las Cruces residents and businesses.
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PHOTO 1: The waste removal and relocation project is expected to take 90 to 100 working days; trucks will be hauling out waste from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and redisposing of it a Corralitos Regional Landfill, off I-10, west of the city.