RODMAN — Originally set to be done this fall, cells 10 and 11 of the Development Authority of the North Country’s landfill won’t be open for trash until spring.

The $8.3 million project will give the landfill enough trash-disposal space for more than 10 years, said Richard R. LeClerc, DANC solid waste division manager. He said that while construction of cell 11 is almost complete, workers are conducting tests on the solid membrane lining the cells to ensure they aren’t leaking and comply with requirements from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

“An April or May time frame to open the cells is what we’re looking at now,” Mr. LeClerc said. “There are still some issues with leakage we’re working on, and additional earthwork will be completed when that’s finished.”

The cells will take up about 19 acres at the northern end of the landfill in the town of Rodman.

Each leak that’s detected at the site requires a 30-day testing period to measure the average leak rate, Mr. LeClerc said. Environmental requirements are what delayed the project from being completed this fall.

Mr. LeClerc said the certification process to approve the site will take a few months to complete. Workers will continue to place trash in cell 9 for a period while using cell 10, Mr. LeClerc said, because trash placed on the bottom layer of the new cell must exclude anything metallic or sharp that could puncture the lining. But after a few months, cell 9 will be closed and workers will use only the new system.

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