THE CLOCK TICKS. In January of this year, Seven Mile Creek Landfill Manager Mark Vinall approached the Eau Claire County for a proposed expansion of the GFL-owned landfill. If expansion were to be approved, the landfill’s service lifespan could increase by 15 years. The company is exploring the purchase of 120 acres, with 80-plus acres part of the Eau Claire County Forest.

Surrounding the Seven Mile Creek Landfill (8001 Olson Dr., Eau Claire) in Eau Claire county, a lush scene of oak, aspen and pine forest stretches across the landscape. This natural setting wraps around the facility that could soon be transformed if a potential expansion moves forward.

The roughly 80-acre landfill, which was purchased by Green For Life (GFL) Environmental, a Canadian-based company, in 2020, currently sits approximately .05 miles from the Eau Claire River. Adjacent to residents who live in the town of Seymour, this area features a mixed biome of forest and lowland river wetlands.

A proposed expansion plan outlined by GFL spans 120 acres total, incorporating an 88-acre parcel which would require withdrawal from county forest territory.

Any sale would have to be recommended by the Eau Claire County Parks and Forest Citizen Advisory Committee, then County administrators, then brought to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

DNR staff would then need to evaluate the long-term implications for regional waste management expansion – whether at Seven Mile Creek or elsewhere.

GFL's expansion proposal has yet to be formally submitted, yet one question is top of mind for many: Is expanding the landfill at this location in the public's best interest?

Background On The Seven Mile Creek Landfill In Eau Claire County

The last time Volume One reported on the Seven Mile Creek Landfill was in 2020. Contributing writer Julian Emerson detailed local anxieties regarding previous proposed expansions at the Seven Mile Creek Landfill.

In 2020, more than 1,000 tons of garbage were dumped daily at the landfill’s 79.5-acre active area. Seven Mile Creek Landfill continued to grow ever larger as the facility housed waste from not only the Chippewa Valley but Minnesota and Iowa as well.

Seymour residents, at the time, had pushed for yearly “sociological payments”: direct financial compensation for nearby homeowners who faced daily disruptions from the facility.

Then, landfill neighbors said they would continue to express their concerns on a proposed expansion with the hope it will lead to the best possible outcome.

Six years later, familiar concerns have resurfaced once again.

A map of GFL Environmental's requested expansion – presented to the Eau Claire County Parks and Forest Division – shows boundaries of the 120-acres in the proposal. (Map via GFL Environmental)

Local media outlets reported on the possible expansion in early September. Those articles noted that dialogue between GFL representatives and County officials began in August.

WQOW 18 News reported GFL is looking to build a wastewater treatment facility for leachate – the liquid waste created when rainwater passes through garbage – and capture gas from the landfill for potential energy use.

However, according to emails reviewed by Volume One, GFL first approached Eau Claire County Administrator Jon Johnson around January 2026. The conversation picked up again in late July, Johnson said.

After numerous attempts to contact Seven Mile Creek Landfill Manager Mark Vinall and staff from GFL, via phone call and email, GFL has yet to respond to Volume One for comment. As of Oct. 15, GFL staff responded yet no interview has taken place.

GFL representatives stated the potential expansion is necessary to continue disposing of local and neighboring communities' waste. ... There is no formal offer on the table, between GFL and Eau Claire County nor GFL and the Wisconsin DNR.

“According to GFL (this potential expansion) will provide approximately 12 – maybe 15 – years of life with existing landfill operations,” Johnson said. 

“(GFL is) in their last cell of landfill that’s currently available and permitted,” he continued. “What we are talking about at the County level is future years (of expansion). My goal is to start having discussions now … we have to work with the township and keep the community engaged on this.”

Life Today In The Town Of Seymour

Word of GFL's intentions to expand the Seven Mile Creek Landfill spread both online and through community meetings, sparking debate in both settings.

Some community members have turned to social media to voice anxieties over environmental degradation, property values and the sensory reality of living near the landfill.

The County created a “Community Interest” form for locals to submit their thoughts on the proposed expansion. In-person petitions have also circulated in spaces such as the Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market in Phoenix Park (330 Riverfront Terrace, Eau Claire).

Luke Callen, a regional musician and current resident of Seymour, has used his recent local performances to platform concerns regarding the potential landfill expansion.

He, like many Seymour residents, were among the hundreds of attendees of both a town hall meeting on Sept. 14 and the most recent Eau Claire County Forest Citizen Advisory Committee meeting on Sept. 28.

Both of these meetings, as reported by WQOW 18 News and  WEAU 13 News, addressed concerns and long-term viability if a landfill expansion would be approved.

“A big part of the reason we decided to move here was its proximity to the natural spaces like the Eau Claire River … the county forest and Tower Ridge,” Callen said. “They are just really beautiful open spaces that just offer a lot as far as serenity (and) being close to the natural world.”

"(Expansion) would dramatically change the appeal of this place," Seymour resident Luke Callen said. "There are a lot of trails, there are a lot of open spaces that you can just walk around and get lost." The Eau Claire county forest comprises approximately 52,000 acres of public land. (Eau Claire county forest, pictured)

Callen worries the expansion will negatively impact the area’s natural appeal and recreational opportunities for visitors.

“The question we’re talking about is whether or not to expand (the landfill). I think the (real) question is whether to shut it down and hold these people accountable or just let it keep operating,” Callen said.

GFL representatives stated the potential expansion is necessary to continue disposing of local and neighboring communities' waste. It was reiterated during the town hall meeting on Sept. 14 that there is no formal offer on the table, between GFL and Eau Claire County nor GFL and the Wisconsin DNR.

New Impact Report, Committee Meetings Ahead

GFL staff, Eau Claire County staff and the state DNR work together on county land sale proposals through a structured review and withdrawal process.

Josh Pedersen, director of the Eau Claire County Parks and Forest Division, is one key player in that process. He and Johnson are conducting a detailed analysis of the land.

This analysis evaluates environmental and recreational impacts, timber production and determines alternative sites that could be considered for landfill expansion. Because the transaction involves public land, withdrawing it from the county forest would require a two-thirds majority vote, Pedersen said.

At the time of interview, Pedersen said this process could take at least six months to one year. He also stated GFL staff had not discussed any monetary values in the potential land purchase. Those details would be part of future Parks and Forest Citizen Advisory Committee meetings.

“My hope through this is that we can work with the township, surrounding businesses and GFL to look at what really is the best way to move forward.”

jon johnson

eau claire county administrator

Following the latest Parks and Forest Citizen Advisory Committee on Sept. 28, both standing members and attendees suggested Pedersen and Johnson consult landfill representatives and produce a more comprehensive data report for the board’s next session.

Johnson said that the comprehensive report would focus on two primary objectives: minimize impact to county forest land; collaborate with the local town of Seymour and property owners.

The report could be ready to share at the committee's next meeting on Oct. 26.

“The most minimal impact to our county forest lands would be the only option we would want to look at, based on our goals and visions from the county’s perspective on being good stewards,” Johnson said. “My hope through this is that we can work with the township, surrounding businesses and GFL to look at what really is the best way to move forward.”

The next parks and forest committee meeting is slated for 11:30am on Oct. 26 at the Eau Claire County Agriculture & Resource Center (227 1st St. W., Altoona). At the time this story went to press on Oct. 9, no agenda for the upcoming meeting had been published.

As reported by WEAU 13 News, proposal marks the fifth time in over two decades that Seven Mile Landfill (pictured) has sought expansion. Visit the GFL Environmental landing page online for the landfill’s current hours of operation and contact information.

This is a developing story with future updates from Volume One. Questions regarding the Seven Mile Creek Landfill expansion proposal can also be directed to the Eau Claire County Parks and Forest Division and Josh Pedersen, josh.pedersen@eauclairecounty.gov.