When the bulldozers plow open the last untouched part of the Millersville Landfill in a few years, they'll have to carve out tons of fine, white sand before burying garbage.
Instead of merely hauling that sand away, the county is exploring whether it can be sold or used to restore streams and wetlands and improve stormwater management.
Some officials see dollar signs when they think about the value of the sand that might be hidden below Millersville.
The sand at the landfill is part of what's called the Magothy soil formation. It is fine and acidic, which makes it ideal for growing wetlands and bog plants and filtering water, said Keith Underwood, a landscape architect who specializes in environmental restoration.
It's not clear exactly how much sand and other usable materials are in the last part of the landfill, which is known as cell nine.
The county has hired a consultant to study the geology of the area and create a plan for when to dig up different sections of cell nine - it won't be opened all at once.
The landfill staff also will use any clay to cap the landfill and clay-sand mixtures will be used for the temporary cap put on each night.
"If we run into any of this white sand we anticipate perhaps would be in there - or any sandstone - we'll separate that out and stockpile it to reuse it," said Ron Bowen, the county's director of public works.
"What we really don't know for sure is what amounts of those materials we'll find," Mr. Bowen said.
On Friday, County Councilmen Jamie Benoit and Josh Cohen sent a letter to County Executive John R. Leopold urging him to pursue using or selling the sand.
Mr. Cohen said it makes good sense to use the sand to help the environment because then the county won't have to buy it for projects.
"It's part of being environmentally smart," said Mr. Cohen, D-Annapolis. "And in this case, being environmentally smart is also being fiscally smart."
The landfill is in the district represented by Mr. Benoit, D-Crownsville. He said he thinks money made off the sand could pay for other improvements at the landfill, such as a device to burn trash and produce energy.
"If we can realize a windfall, vis-a-vis this dirt, then I think that's great," he said. "Maybe we can make some investments in the landfill."
Mr. Leopold said he is on board with the idea.
"Anytime I can couple financial savings with initiatives that help the environment, I want to do that," he said.
It's undetermined just how much money could be made or saved from it. In their letter, the councilmen said there could be 1.4 million cubic yards of sand that could sell for $35 per cubic yard, which would be worth $49 million.
Mr. Bowen, however, said it's too early to know if that estimate is accurate. He added that any sand would be extracted over the 20- to 40-year lifetime of cell nine.
"It's not like you're going to have it all at once," he said.
Still, it's an effort worth looking into, said Mr. Underwood, the landscape architect.
In stream restorations, such as the completed Wilelinor project near Annapolis, up to 2,000 cubic yards - or 200 truckloads - of sand were used. At $400 to $600 per truckload, the cost adds up quickly.
If even some money can be saved on acquiring sand for government-funded restorations, then perhaps more projects could be completed, Mr. Underwood said.
"That's a huge savings that would allow us to move forward," he said.
