Not in my Backyard
How Many Landfills Are There?
Prior to 1993, New Mexico had about 200 operating landfills. Most of them were unlined. In 1993, the law gave landfill operators a choice to either meet the new regulations or shut down. About 150 landfills chose to shut down. Today, there are about 55 operating landfills in the state. Most of the operating landfills are lined, with leachate collection systems, or they are in the process of meeting these requirements. Since many communities can no longer afford to run their own landfills, cities and counties have teamed up to operate huge regional landfills. These spread out the costs, but for some towns they also lead to higher transportation costs. Regional landfills often set up "transfer stations" in town where garbage can be dropped off and later transported in semi-trucks to the regional landfill. These transfer stations also often operate recycling centers.

 


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