The city of Meridian sent a letter to the Board of Ada County Commissioners stating it is opposed to the county’s waste-to-energy project because the county is not following state law.

“Idaho code 31-4407A clearly requires that Ada County must conduct a feasibility study when proposing a new solid waste processing facility within the boundaries of our county. … We are requesting that you follow that defined process in the State Code prior to proceeding further with this processing facility,” states Mayor Tammy de Weerd in the letter sent on Monday.

The county has entered a 30-year agreement with Dynamis Energy to build a plant at the landfill that would heat at a high temperature up to 408 tons of trash daily, converting it into gas and then generating 22 megawatts of electricity. The facility would be the Eagle-based company's first waste-to-energy plant and the largest power-producing facility to be built in Ada County since Lucky Peak Dam was completed in 1988.

“Unfortunately, for the current project no such feasibility study or public involvement process was completed and the County appears to be moving forward with the project which is in direct contradiction to Idaho Code. … The City of the Meridian is opposed to any continuation of the process without following Idaho Code,” said de Weerd in the letter.

The county has said all of the building permits Dynamis needs to build the waste-to-energy facility at the landfill require only staff-level approval because the facility is an ancillary use within the already existing landfill.

According to the county, no public hearing is required to build the 22-megawatt Dynamis facility.

Since the project began more than two years ago, the public has not had an opportunity to stand before the Board of Ada County Commissioners or county staff to ask questions about or comment on the project.

In July, the commissioners allowed public officials from other cities to ask questions during a public meeting, but other people in the audience could not ask questions.

Dynamis said it would start construction this month on the $75 million garbage gasifier, which could be eligible for up to 30 percent in federal funding.

On August 17 Dynamis submitted a partial building permit application to the county.

Since some of the information is “proprietary,” the public cannot view the entire application, according to the county. Documents or drawings that cannot be viewed by the public include main floor layout, floor plans and a lighting plan, among others.