By spending $5 million on the first phase of a planned landfill expansion, the town expects to reap about $12 million in commercial dumping fees.

The board of directors approved funding Tuesday for the project's initial phase, expected to start in 2017, pending approval from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The $5 million will be taken from the town's sanitation fund, which is separate from the general fund, General Manager Scott Shanley said.