The DeKalb County Landfill is expanding in exchange for a $1 million contribution from DeKalb County Waste Management to the town of Cortland.

The Town of Cortland is one mile from the landfill, 18370 Somonauk Road. Waste Management spokeswoman Lisa Disbrow said the $1 million is planned to be used to pay off the $1.75 million lawsuit against Cortland by Eagle Homes.

The lawsuit, filed Feb. 27, alleged that underground pipes were installed and equipment used to spray treated wastewater was placed on private property without the permission of the landowners. The expansion will take six to eight years.

Disbrow said the reason for the expansion is because the facility has reached its capacity. There are about four years of disposal capacity left. The facility has a total of 28 million cubic yards or about 46 years of disposal capacity.

Disbrow said the new landfill will generate more money for DeKalb County because it will collect waste from surrounding counties.

Disbrow said payment of the $1 million will start once the disposal in the hosting area begins, which is around December 2015.

“The most important thing is this facility guarantees disposal capacity for DeKalb County,” Disbrow said.

Jeff Metzger, DeKalb County Board chairman, said he is one of the board members who supported this expansion. He said citizens may be concerned about hazards such as fumes, but careful monitoring and heavy regulation is in place for safety.

Metzger said this is a good move for DeKalb County since it will generate money for the county since there will be a tipping fee for surrounding counties to dump waste in DeKalb County’s landfill.

“We have made all the information for the expansion public, such as [at] town hall meetings, to keep folks informed,” Metzger said. “I’m anxious to see things finally come together. It has been a long process, and to understand the concerns of Cortland citizens. We will closely monitor the expansion.”

Robert Brown, DeKalb County Board member for District 6, said he is against the idea of the expansion. Since the expansion will take on waste from other counties, he said there should be a certain goal reached by them before sending waste to DeKalb.

“All through this process the tipping fees for surrounding counties to dump in DeKalb County was designated to expand the jail, which I support, but I prefer we do it another way in order to pay for the jail expansion,” Brown said.

DeKalb County Administrator Gary Hanson was involved with meeting with Waste Management to discuss the expansion.

“I think it is [a] very positive project to be happing in our community. Safeguards are placed so it is not a threat to the community,” Hanson said. “We think we are going to improve the safety of the old landfill by taking the garbage out of the old landfill and placing it in the new [one] where the environmental standards are more strict.”