Missoula, Mont. – The Missoula City Council has approved an $8.5 million construction project aimed at modernizing and expanding the city’s Garden City Compost facility, a major step toward improving environmental sustainability and waste management in the region.

The funding package, announced following the council’s May 19 vote, includes a $4.7 million grant from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and a matching contribution from the city’s Wastewater Enterprise Fund.

Jason Duffin, Compost Facility Manager at Garden City Compost, said the long-anticipated improvements would benefit both the facility’s operations and the surrounding community.
"This is a fantastic move for our facility and for the community," Duffin stated.

Originally acquired by the City of Missoula in 2017, the compost facility has been operating on a transitional site while the city developed a long-term vision. With this new investment, the facility will undergo major upgrades designed to bring it up to industry standards and significantly reduce its environmental impact.

The project is a cornerstone of Missoula’s broader effort to improve waste and biosolids management. The upgraded facility will enable more reliable processing of biosolids from the city's wastewater treatment plant. Duffin explained how the improvements will help streamline the treatment cycle and control runoff.
"What we're going to be doing at the site where we're composting with that impervious surface is collecting all of that leachate, taking it into piping and pumping it right back over to the wastewater treatment plant to go through its treatment over there," he said.

Among the key features of the project are the installation of new composting bays, advanced mechanical and electrical controls, improved management of stormwater runoff, and significantly enhanced odor control systems. The facility will also have a much greater processing capacity, with city officials projecting it will meet local needs for at least the next 20 years.

Odor control has long been a concern among nearby residents. The new system will introduce a large biofilter designed to trap more volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other emissions that cause unpleasant smells.
"All that air, and those VOCs are going to go into a large biofilter that is going to scrub that air more effectively and capture up to 70% more of the odors that we are having issues with right now," Duffin added.

Construction is expected to begin shortly and take about eight months to complete, meaning the new facility could be operational by early 2026 if all goes as planned.

City officials said the upgrade also reflects Missoula’s commitment to climate resilience and environmental stewardship. By extending the life and capacity of the composting system, the city can divert more organic waste from landfills, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and better manage nutrient recovery.

The Garden City Compost facility plays a vital role in processing yard debris, food waste, and biosolids, transforming them into nutrient-rich compost used throughout the region in agriculture, landscaping, and land reclamation.

Local residents, environmental advocates, and business owners have expressed support for the project, praising its long-term benefits and alignment with Missoula’s sustainability goals.

For more details about the facility and the city’s composting programs, residents can visit Garden City Compost’s official website.

Originally reported by Taylor Richardson in Montana Right Now.