Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

District Ponders Future Of Its Garbage

What, exactly, is the future of solid waste for Clark, Garland and Hot Spring counties?

This was one of the topics of discussion at the Southwest Central Regional Solid Waste Management District's meeting Wednesday, May 15.

The district's contract with Saline County's landfill runs through Sept. 30, 1998. At the end of this contract, the tipping fees will be increased.

The panel discussed its options, with one being constructing a regional landfill within the confines of the district. A pre-ap for a class I landfill will run about $15,000.

According to Joe Hughes, with the Arkansas Department of Pollution Control and Ecology, a class I landfill will cost about $5 million to construct. "There are no cheap landfills," he said.

Garland County Judge Larry Williams said the Garland County Quorum Court has set aside funds to possibly acquire a regional landfill. However, he said a regional landfill may be cost prohibitive.

Bill Rhinehart, also with the PC&E, said he has been in contact with Joe Ball, with the Upper Southwest Solid Waste Regional Management District, about building a fuel pellet system for solid waste.

He said Ball is gathering data, but it appears as though the current tonnage generated by the counties in the Upper Southwest won't be enough to support a facility. Additionally, he said, Georgia Pacific has agreed to buy all fuel pellets produced by the district.

Rhinehart said Upper Southwest is interested in becoming partners with the Southwest Central district for its waste.

However, the district's governing body voted to go ahead with a site selection study for a regional landfill, while keeping the Upper Southwest situation in mind as a possible alternative.

In other action, the board prioritized how it will spend its grant monies for 1996.

The top priority will be making sure the recently-opened recycling center in Hot Springs is adequately funded.

Second on the list is a Clark County project to purchase a tub grinder and chipper to dispose of limbs and pallets.

Next is a Garland County's project, the construction of two or three transfer stations, followed by any ideas Hot Spring County may have.

Hughes informed the panel of the PC&E's Clean Up Arkansas campaign, which is being planned at this time for operation in May 1997. He said the department's goal is to get all 75 counties involved.

More information will be available about the campaign later.

Jim Goble gave an update on tire recycling and the clean up of illegal tire dumps.

He said the Friendship site will be a problem because the tires were dumped into a large hole with a rock quarry nearby. The dumping, he said, was done while it was still legal.

In addition, there is a stream running through where the tires are, which poses even more problems for the clean up crews.

He told the board the contractor wants $2 per tire plus processing costs to clean up the dump site. Also, he said if more money is needed the PC&E may be able to help.

The family, who operate a bait shop at the site, will have to be restrained to keep them from interfering with the clean up procedure, Goble said.

Davis Tire Co. will be responsible for gathering the tires at the site.

Doyle Smith gave the first part of an update for the recycling center. He said since the program started five loads of paper and two partial loads of cardboard have been sold.

A formula, he said, is needed to pay those counties (Clark and Hot Spring) bringing recyclables into the center to help offset their transportation costs.

Bob Venuti took over at this point saying it's been difficult finding a consistent source and market price for the recyclable materials, primarily cardboard and newsprint.

However, he said with prices ranging from an average of $10 to $60 per ton, a premium of 5 percent of the cost between these figures should go to Hot Spring County, while Clark County should receive 10 percent.

But, if the price drops below $10 per ton, there will be no premium for either county.