Boise Dump [hot] May 2026

1. Introduction The "Boise Dump" is the colloquial name for the primary municipal solid waste (MSW) facility serving Ada County and the greater Treasure Valley region of Idaho. Officially designated as the Ada County Landfill (also historically referred to as the Hidden Hollow Landfill), the site is located at 10300 N. Seaman’s Gulch Road, approximately six miles north of downtown Boise, near the Boise Foothills. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the facility’s history, operational framework, environmental management systems, and its complex relationship with the surrounding community. 2. Historical Background The landfill opened in the late 1960s as a small, unregulated community dumping ground. At that time, environmental regulations were minimal, and the site served the growing post-war population of Boise. By the 1980s, the facility had expanded significantly, but it was also recognized as a potential source of groundwater contamination. In 1985, the landfill underwent major upgrades to comply with the newly enacted federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle D standards, which mandated liner systems, leachate collection, and groundwater monitoring.