The Thompson-Nicola Regional District would like to inform residents and businesses that effective April 1, the Chase Landfill will be switching to reduced operating hours. This is in preparation for the landfill’s full closure sometime in 2013, which will coincide with the opening of the South Thompson Eco-Depot.
“The change in hours is necessary because the landfill is nearing capacity,” said Don May, manager of environmental services. “So by reducing the hours of operation the life of the landfill will be prolonged until we can open the South Thompson Eco-Depot.”
The new hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 28 to Nov. 1; and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 1 to Oct. 31 on Wednesdays and Sundays only.
Once the capacity of the Chase landfill has been reached, TNRD staff will begin the process of reclaiming the area. This includes a groundbreaking biosolids initiative in which compost beds are placed over the closed surface where landfill gas is venting. These biosolids metabolize methane produced by the landfill, and immediately reduce its global warming impact by 21 times.
The TNRD won an award for this initiative, and also received $2.1 million from the federal government for funding.
The TNRD will then transfer solid waste management services for the area to the South Thompson Eco-Depot, which to be located in Pritchard. The TNRD says Eco-Depots are an improved way for residents to manage their solid waste by separating recyclables and reusable materials from the waste stream before disposing of the residual in a fully enclosed bin.
Additionally, loads of material will be tracked and charged based on volume or by weight, determined by onsite scales.
Information is available on the TNRD’s website at tnrd.ca under Important Notices.