Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Following the first fall cleanup last October in many years without a Tire Amnesty Day, Whitman County Solid Waste and Recycling Division hopes to have the event restored in this year's budget – while other parts of their work are reduced because of additional budget cuts.
Tire Amnesty Day is funded by a specific grant for which counties are told each August whether they can be reimbursed for disposing of tires. Last year the funding was denied.
Also, last summer the announcement came for the July 2015-July 2017 biennium for the state's Department of Ecology Coordinated Prevention Grant. Whitman County's share dropped from $300,000 to $150,000.
The funding supports no-charge disposal costs for hazardous waste, yard waste and more.
“It's always a possibility we may have to start charging for these services,” said David Nails, Whitman County Solid Waste Operations Manager. “We'll have to take a look at it. We will try hard not to have to charge people.”
A change that is certain to come this year will be elimination of the county's Recycling Coordinator position, a 3/4-time job in which the employee sets up an informational booth at events such as Palouse Empire Fair and the Lentil Festival, as well as providing recycling education in schools.
Nails indicated that, due to the Coordinated Prevention Grant budget cut, instead of a Recycling Coordinator, he is looking into hiring someone for 2016 to perhaps teach about recycling in fourth and fifth grade classrooms on a limited basis.
As for Tire Amnesty Day, the program works by the state covering expenses for taking in and shipping out tires for each county holding an event. In Whitman County, annual costs sent for reimbursement have ranged from $8,000 to $10,000.
In 2014, L & S Tire of Spokane was the county's contractor for shipping and recycling.
State funding is decided on annually.
“We'll find out in August,” said Nails. “If funding is restored, we'll do it again.”
The county transfer station accepts tires for recycling all year long for a charge of $1.50 per standard tire.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
Reader Comments(0)