Midland will allocate $1.6 million to replace a compactor unit at the city landfill that was too damaged by fire to rebuild or reconstruct. The Midland City Council approved the purchase at its July 23 meeting.
According to the Midland City Council's June 23 agenda, a CAT compactor unit was operating at the working face of the city's landfill on June 21 near the end of the workday between 5 and 5:30 p.m. when the equipment operator noticed heavy smoke coming from its engine compartment area. The entire engine bay and cab were engulfed in flames soon after the operator exited the unit. Landfill staff attempted to extinguish the fire but had to call the fire department. After it was safe, Landfill and Garage personnel inspected the compactor and found that heavy fire damage was sustained to the engine compartment area, electrical system, and cab structure. Extreme heat may have compromised the structural integrity of the cab's rollover protection structure.
The compactor pushes, spreads, compacts, and covers waste under state regulations and procedures, making it an important tool in the safe disposal of solid waste material, according to the Midland City Council's June 23 agenda.
The typical lifespan of this type of equipment is 15 years or 10,000 hours. This unit was 17 years old and had operated for 10,180 hours, surpassing the end of its useful life, according to the Midland City Council's June 23 agenda. The city council approved purchasing a new Caterpillar Model 836 Wheel Dozer (compactor) from Warren Power & Machinery under a Sourcewell contract.