PHARSALIA – Cost of the multi-million dollar cell four development project at the Chenango County landfill in Pharsalia may exceed early estimates, according to county officials, and it’s raising questions of how much more will be needed to finish the project.

The issue was presented to the Chenango County Finance Committee last week by Pharsalia Supervisor Dennis Brown. Brown also chairs the county’s committee on public works. According to Brown, bids for the project, which were made available to engineering firms in late January, are coming in much higher than expected due to unanticipated changes in the scope of the project.

Brown said that technical equipment used to monitor the landfill is housed in two facilities at the landfill, and those facilities have become worn. Some equipment will also have to be replaced, he said. Replacing them was not included in the original project layout, but doing so adds an estimated $200,000 to the final cost.

“Those facilities were put in when we built the landfill and they all have to meet explosion requirements,” Brown explained to committee members, noting that such requirements drastically increase the cost. “When we budgeted for the project, we had budgeted it for $3.6 million,” he said. “Bids are coming in closer to $3.8 million.”