Commissioners discuss recycling with city council

Boundary County commissioners met with Bonners Ferry Council Tuesday to discuss reducing the amount of garbage that goes into the 18-acre landfill.

Curbside recycling for city residents was mentioned, but no decisions were made.

Opened in 1971, the landfill is permitted to receive 20 tons of garbage daily and is running out of space. Once the landfill is at capacity, it will be closed, and garbage will be shipped out of county because the cost of opening another landfill would be astronomical

Landfill superintendent Claine Skeen estimates it will cost $500,000 a year to ship 20 tons of garbage daily to the transfer station in Colburn in Bonner County.

County commissioner Dan Dinning estimates residents in the city of Bonners Ferry generate about one-half of the landfill’s daily waste.

“If there’s anyway we can work to reduce that . . .,” Dinning told city council.

Recycling would help.

Skeen noted that since Oct. 17, 2007, voluntary recycling has saved from dumping 117 tons of aluminum in the landfill. Over the past 11 months, recycling newspapers has saved 77 tons of garbage.

County commissioner chairman Ron Smith was told a few years back that the landfill had about a 15-year life remaining.

“I think with a strong recycling program we can extend it beyond that,” Smith said. “If we could get the city (to help) it would be very much appreciated.”

Currently, residents can take items for recycling to Far North Outfitters on the first Wednesday of the month between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Since starting the program in February, 3 tons of items of have been recycled.

The landfill and dumpsites in Naples and Paradise Valley accept items for recycling. They include No. 1 and No. 2 plastics, newspapers, magazines, office paper, flattened cardboard, glass, aluminum and tin cans, vehicle batteries, antifreeze and oil.