Major changes in trash disposal affecting most residents begins in January
Supervisor Sue Hoek tossed the first trash bag into the new public receiving area at the McCourtney Road Transfer Station today, marking a major milestone in a $20 million ongoing renovation project.
“This project is a long time in coming and I’m so happy that we’ve finally got to this point,” Hoek said. “I think we’ve all been looking forward to the shorter wait times and lines we can now enjoy.”
The new 48,000-square-foot public receiving area opens to the public during the facility’s regular hours this week, starting Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 8 a.m. It features 24 unloading bays (three times the number of the previous facility) and new bathrooms, which will offer a more pleasant and efficient experience for residents dumping trash.
Public Works Director David Garcia commented that he was excited for residents to begin using the new Public Receiving Area (PRA) building. “In a few months, we will also have the new routes off Wolf Mountain Road and new entrance scales open, which will continue to improve the traffic visitors previously experienced,” he said.
Construction continues at the transfer station in preparation for major changes in trash disposal starting in January that will affect most residents. Beginning in the new year, unincorporated county residents with curbside garbage collection from WM will be required to separate their trash into three carts with food and yard waste (organic waste) going in the green cart, recyclables in the blue cart and regular trash in the black cart.
The last phase of the transfer station renovation project includes converting the previous public receiving area to accept food waste and green waste. It is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
These measures are necessary for the County to comply with state Senate Bill 1383, which aims to mitigate climate change by diverting organic waste from landfills. Many other communities in California have already been separating out food waste.
“Separating out our food waste will be a big change for all of us,” said Hoek. “But in the end, it will be good for our community. We’re going to do this together.”
For more information on the transfer station renovation project, visit www.NevadaCountyCa.gov/MRTS, and for more information on the transition to food waste collection, visit www.NevadaCountyCA.gov/Organics.
