Many questions are being asked of the Bingham County Solid Waste Department.  What items can be taken where, what do I have to pay for, what is the status of the plant that is suppose to be going up at the Central Transfer Station, hours of operation, and many more.  Hopefully, we can answer some questions and help educate the people who live in Bingham County. 

 Here are a few questions that are regularly asked:

Q: I am charged $44.00 per year with my property taxes.  Why do I have to pay when I go to the landfill or the Transfer Station?

A: The two fees are for two different types of waste. 

·        The $44.00 per household or business pays for the basic costs of running the Tier II land fills in Aberdeen and Rattlesnake.  The $44 fee pays for tire disposal, Freon (refrigeration) removal, first 500 lbs. of any residential (non-commercial) load brought to the landfill or the transfer station.

·        The fees collected at the sites are to handle the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) or Household waste.  Fees are also collected to cover additional costs for the county, commercial haulers, large volume generators, and non-commercial loads in excess of 500 lbs..  This whole concept is designed for each person/party to pay for what they produce.

 Q:        What items are accepted with out a charge?

A:         The following items are accepted at no charge at all the locations:

Batteries, metal, tree limbs, tires without rims, white goods normally defined as, freezers/refrigerators, stoves, etc., along with residential volumes (<500 lbs) of C&D debris (also includes grass clippings).

Q:        Do you accept burn barrels? 

A:         Yes, at this time (temporally) burn barrels are only accepted at the Central Transfer Station.

Q:        What are your hours?

A:        

 Q: What are the charges?

A:

Q: What is inert (fill) material?

A: Inert material will not generally change over time.  Fill material is not regulated. These items include: rock, brick, dirt, cinderblocks, concrete, and large tree stumps.

Q: Do you accept used motor oil?

A: Yes, in small quantities.  Quantities larger than 5 gallons need to handled by an oil recycler.

Q: Where does the household garbage go from here?

A: Garbage is shipped out on trucks to a facility north of Mountain Home.  Debris is placed in a permitted Tier III Landfill.

Q: Why is the current waste being hauled all the way to Mountain Home?

A: A few years ago Bingham County evaluated the solid waste system and advertised for Requests for Proposals.  Considering all the options that were available at the time, Idaho Wastes System’s proposal to run the transfer station, transport the waste, and bury the waste in a double lined landfill was the best option for the county at the time.  Other than the county taking over the landfills in Bingham County, there have been no adjustments in the rates of the contract.

Q: How do I dispose of mobile homes?

A: There are several things that need to be completed before the mobile home can be disposed of.  The MSW items need to be removed along with the carpets, furniture, refrigeration units, florescent lights, ballasts, thermostats, and household items.  The home also needs to have an asbestos inspection before it can be accepted at the landfill.  Bingham County Solid Waste would be happy to do an onsite inspection of the mobile home with the homeowner to answer questions.  Bingham County Solid Waste is not certified to do the asbestos inspection.

The homes can be taken to Rattlesnake and the cost of the homes is $1.00 per foot. i.e. $70 for a 70 foot mobile home.

Q: Do you take tires and how much does it cost?

A: Yes.  Passenger tires without rims are free.  There is a limit of 25 tires.  Bingham County has additional costs to recycle the tire if the rim is left on the tire.  The charge to remove the tire from the rim is passed on to the resident.  The resident is also charged if the volume of tires exceeds 25 tires. 

Q: What does Bingham County do to recycle?

A: Bingham County has several items that it recycles on a regular basis.  The county recycles batteries, oil, tires, and steel.  There is a recycling area for additional items located at the Central Transfer Station.  Additional items that can be recycled are paper products, plastics.

Q: Where do I take my old TV’s and computers?

A: You can take them to any of the sites free of charge until January 9, 2008.  After that time there will be a charge for them. 

Q: What type of debris is accepted at the Rattlesnake and Aberdeen Landfills?

A: Rattlesnake Non-MSW Landfill is only permitted to receive the following items in the landfill area.

(Containers having contained a liquid are not accepted).

This is a general list. Specific items may not qualify. If items are going to rot, leach or blow, they are not accepted. Contaminated loads with MSW will be considered household waste and will need to be put in the Household waste dumpster or taken to the Central Transfer Station in Moreland.

There are dumpsters at the site that can accept items that need to be taken to another facility.  However, hazardous materials need to be dealt with on a case by case basis. 

Q:        What do I have to do before I demolish or tear down a building?

A:         Demolition of buildings need to have an EPA permit, asbestos inspection, and a county inspection.  More information is available on the county’s or other web sites.