Audio clip
Cheryl Dunson
CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- Bradley County's landfill could last another 60 years, the County Commission learned Monday.
That's up from the estimated 54 years in last year's annual report from the landfill's operator, Santek Environmental Inc.
Also up the past year is the volume of recycling, said Cheryl Dunson, Santek's marketing vice president.
Landfill volume is continuing to increase, she said. For 2009, the landfill recorded nearly 161,000 tons. That is still well below the annual 200,000-ton cap for the county, she said.
"Our volumes continue to increase at all three (recycling) facilities," she told the commission.
Participation also is growing in electronics recycling at the Peerless Road collection site, she said.
County Mayor D. Gary Davis, who brought electronics recycling to the site, said the growing numbers are encouraging. Computer components, recording devices and anything electronic except televisions can be accepted. The volume amounts to about a tractor-trailer load every two months going to the recycler, he said.
"We continue to work toward bringing in plastics recycling and hope to have something to announce later on that," Mr. Davis said.
For the current fiscal year, the landfill received $65,000 for waste tire recycling, Mrs. Dunson said.
"We cannot bury tires. They must be recycled," she said. Santek is not allowed to profit from tire recycling but can recover its costs, she said.
"If you buy a set of tires, you pay a fee to get (recycling) done," Commissioner Howard Thompson said.
The state pays $70 a ton, to recycle tires, Mrs. Dunson said. But the cost is about $110 a ton. The fee goes to a state grant that makes up the difference, she said.
Santek pays a portion of its fees quarterly to the county. For 2009, that came to nearly $241,000, she said. Since 2000, Santek has turned over nearly $1.5 million to the county.
Last year, when the state cut back on funding the annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day, the county used money from its landfill fund to host the event. About 700 households took part.
The collection day is coming again on April 17 at the landfill.
Randall Higgins covers news in Cleveland, Tenn., for the Times Free Press. He started work with the Chattanooga Times in 1977 and joined the staff of the Chattanooga Times Free Press when the Free Press and Times merged in 1999. Randall has covered Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia and Alabama. He now covers Cleveland and Bradley County and the neighboring region. Randall is a Cleveland native. He has bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Technological University. His awards ...
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