Commissioners hear Recycling/Waste Management options
Sublette Commissioner meeting in Marbleton on Sept. 15th
by Sublette County
September 18, 2009
Sublette County Waste Supervisor Brad Clingman spoke with county commissioners at the commission’s September 15 meeting about how to structure a countywide recycling program.
Clingman noted that he hosted a meeting of the two recycling boards in the county and laid out the following baseline:
• The county is not going to spend more than $100 per ton for recycling;
• Sublette County will have a recycling program; and
• The new program will not resemble the existing program.
Clingman reported that while the Pinedale program is ready to combine with the county program, the Tri-Town program feels it can keep its program alive with current funding.
Clingman has proposed a program costing $61,500 that would eliminate the recycling boards and consolidate operations with one dedicated employee. The employee would alternate days between the two locations in the county, baling plastic, aluminum and possibly cardboard.
Clingman said he believes that any revenues generated by the sales of commodities will cover the transportation costs with some left over to help cover operations expenses.
Sublette County Commissioner Bill Cramer commended Clingman’s efforts, noting that there is no doubt that citizens want to recycle, the county has to determine what level of governmental involvement is feasible.
Commissioner Joel Bousman requested more detail in the recycling proposal, including and estimate of the anticipated material level, so the commission can project a cost per ton and make an informed decision.
Commissioner John Linn noted that the cost per ton is still an issue, and while the $61,500 program is a lot less than the county has been spending, this program will probably still have a high cost per ton.
Linn asked Clingman to also develop a figure for what it would cost the county to recycle the entire waste stream. Clingman said such a program would involve dumping all trash onto a conveyor belt where could be sorted and handled, and agreed to develop a cost estimate.
Clingman noted that any time any operational changes to landfill operations are proposed – including establishment of a recycling program – those changes must be approved by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality.
Clingman also noted that the county is experiencing problems with some trash coming from Teton County. The amount of electronic waste is high, he said, with two loads arriving that day that contained about 12 televisions and computer monitors and about 30 vacuum cleaners. These items, along with rocks and concrete, have been included in the loads and cannot be baled, so must be sorted from the wastestream. Clingman said he intends to work with Teton County on resolving this issue.
In a related matter, the commission said it may revisit the issue of rates it charges at the Pinedale Trash Transfer Station at its October 6 meeting. A commercial operator has expressed his concern about what he perceives as a rate increase, which has happened since the county went from charging based on a volume measurement to the weight measurement system currently in use.
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