LAYTON — The plan to create a regional landfill at Box Elder County’s Little Mountain was narrowly defeated by that county’s voters, last Tuesday.

Davis and Morgan Counties, served by Wasatch Integrated Waste (except Bountiful), are a part of that consortium, called Northern Utah Regional Landfill Association.

“I think it’s probably a good time to let it die down for a while,” said John (J P) Petroff, chairman of Wasatch Integrated Waste’s board of directors. “We ought to be able to figure out something we can do. There were some things they (Box Elder voters) didn’t like in the package. We’ll work with the new commissioners, see if we can come up with something they could live with.”

A Voice for All People was the group that fought against the proposal that would’ve upgraded the existing Box Elder County Landfill, investing about $10 million.

Although there is still 14 years estimated time left in the current Davis County Landfill, Nathan Rich, Wasatch Integrated’s executive director, favored the Box Elder site.

“It would be about 45 miles each way compared to 95 miles each way to commercial facilities in Tooele County,” he said.

“I think the basic idea still has value for Box Elder County and surrounding counties,” he said of the regional approach.

Other counties that would’ve been included are Weber, Cache and Box Elder.

The issue will be discussed at the group’s next board meeting set for Nov. 18.

“Our options are going back to where we were two years ago, looking for other sites,” Rich said. “Unfortunately, other sites don’t bring the same benefit to Box Elder.

“I think the ball is largely in Box Elder’s court. They need to decide if there’s any benefit to them to be in NULA. There was no overwhelming mandate” for Box Elder to drop out, he said, with a 55-45 percent vote spread.

Rich echoed Petroff’s thoughts that a new Box Elder County commissioner has been elected and will be involved within a couple of months.

“We don’t want to do any knee-jerk reaction. We still think it’s a great idea. Now that Little Mountain is not going to be the site, do we want to move forward as a group, or individually. It remains to be seen,” he said.

“We are certainly trying to keep our options open. I think it still makes a lot of sense to work together,” he said.

“We have time. I do think we’ve generated a certain amount of momentum. It doesn’t have to happen tomorrow,” Rich said.

Should the regional idea not work out, Wasatch Integrated officials could look again at the idea of creating a garbage transfer station and transporting waste to Tooele County, he said.

tbusselberg@davisclipper.com