Page 8 - Flathead Beacon // 12.4.13

8 | DECEMBER 4, 2013 NEWS FLATHEADBEACON.COM

County to Move Forward with

One-Year Contract for Recycling

Solid waste board

discusses revisions to landill’s

strategic report

By MOLLY PRIDDY of the Beacon

The Flathead County Solid Waste District Board
voted to approve a 13-month contract extension with
Valley Recycling to keep the county’s recycling pro-
gram aloat.
The vote came on Nov. 26, at the board’s monthly
meeting, and was a unanimous decision. Instead of
the valley’s 15 recycling locations, the board agreed to

move forward with eight, at the existing blue bin sites
in Ashley Lake, Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Coram, Cres-
ton, Lakeside, Somers and the landill.
The county’s previous contract with Valley Recy-
cling ended in January, when the company informed
the board that its prices would go up dramatically,
dealing a inancial blow to a program that has only gar-

nered a proit once in its existence. But when the coun-
ty put the recycling program out for bid, only Valley Re-
cycling responded, and the county has worked with the
company on a month-to-month basis since.
Brad McManus pushes a pile of plastic bottles to a conveyor that feeds a compression bailer at Valley Recycling. The bailer runs ive days a
Now the contract extension will give the county a week compressing paper, plastics and cardboard.
year to igure out what to do about long-term recycling FILE PHOTO BY LIDO VIZZUTTI | FLATHEAD BEACON
in the Flathead, which has become an expensive pro- ward with a deined contract, and that the company Better Flathead, told the board she supported the de-
cess.
hopes to keep those grocery store locations open on cision to decrease recycling sites to eight, because the

Since 1998, when the program started, the county their own.
county faces a tough inancial situation but also wants
has lost more than $400,000 on recycling. In 2000, the In the next year, the board said it will look at dif- to keep the program running.
only proitable year for recycling, the program made ferent recycling proposals to help keep the cost down. “We would like to see (the contract extension) tru-
$1,028.
Prunty noted that the future of the program will likely ly coupled with an independent study, because in one
At the Nov. 26 meeting, County Public Works Di- look like it currently does at the Columbia Falls loca- year we’re going to be in the same place,” Flowers said.
rector David Prunty told the board that the county tion, which has a garbage compactor and a county em- The board also discussed the potential closure of
expects to cost about $209,000 on recycling this year, ployee on staf.
the Bigfork green box site, which has caused consid-
with revenue settling at about $67,400 and a net loss of With those on site, the price per ton of recycling has
erable tension with some residents. Since the board
just over $141,500.
dropped to $50.89. The second-lowest site price per intends to revise the county’s solid waste strategic re-
“This will be by far our most expensive year of the ton, in Lakeside, is $161.88. Somers boasts the highest port, the board said, it is likely any further decisions
blue bin recycling program,” Prunty said.
price per ton, at $295.09.
about the Bigfork site will be tabled until the new stra-
And the county’s most popular recycling bins – The board noted that Flathead County’s main i- tegic plan is in place.
those located at Super One and Albertson’s grocery nancial roadblock with recycling is location, and ship- This plan revision will include outside consultants,
stores – will not be part of the county’s program any- ping the recycled materials out of the valley.
and will likely have heavy public involvement, Prunty
more. That’s a major loss, the board members said; The public present at the meeting expressed sup- said, including a potential survey and a scoping session

the grocery store bins and the bin at Army-Navy make port for the county recycling program, saying it is an early next year.
up 41 percent of the total recycled materials, but cost important issue for the environment and the county The board also voted to cancel its monthly meeting
$3,300 this October alone.
needs more education and outreach on recycling is- in December, so the next meeting will be in January.
A representative from Valley Recycling informed
sues.
[email protected]
the board that the company is glad to be moving for- Mayre Flowers, executive director of Citizens for a

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