Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First

Incorrectly using green dumpsters leads to landfill woes

This landfill is a dump!

As local contractor Z & S Construction, along with subcontractors, cover the filled cell, landfill supervisor Jim Schulte is moving mountains to clear up needed topsoil and potentially make way for a future cell.

What Schulte is moving should have been a usable compost pile on the south side of the Kimball Landfill. Instead, it is an unusable heap of yard waste littered with household trash and more. It is the pile that was dumped out of the green dumpsters in Kimball's alleys.

Years ago green dumpsters were placed in the alleys alongside the brown ones for the purpose of collecting compostable yard waste, such as grass clippings, leaves and very small twigs. Unfortunately, they have been filled with everything from weeds and large branches to diapers, clothing and garden gates.

One small step each time residents take their trash to the dumpster could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars in the long run for the city and eventually, for consumers as well. Landfill fees may eventually have to be raised to cover the expense as man hours and equipment use are wasted attempting to clean up the mess others leave.

Additionally, Mayor Keith Prunty said the city would like to offer compost to residents as a service, but as the compost pile sits, it cannot be offered to anyone. He further stated that to add it to the open cell would fill it, costing the city thousands of dollars.

While city personnel are working on the problem and city officials are searching for the solution, residents are asked to use the dumpsters as intended and alleviate the concern at the source.