Solid waste district cites $3,600 vegetable‑oil disposal cost, reports upgrades and recycling changes

The Clinton County Solid Waste District on an item in its meeting reported that it paid about $3,600 to remove roughly 600 gallons of waste vegetable oil and described several operational updates, including a new fire‑suppression system and ongoing electronics and paint handling programs.

The details matter because the oil disposal was an unplanned expense that the district said reflects shrinking options for accepting used cooking oil from residents, churches and small events and could affect the district’s budget for disposal services.

Director Joel, speaking during the district’s director report, said Coorsen Fire installed a new Buckeye fire‑suppression system in the district’s Secure All Hazardous Waste Storage Building after the prior system — about 30 years old — could no longer be serviced. "The fire inspector ... came out and took a look at it while they were installing it and said everything looked good to him," Joel said. He added the district contracted Skiles Electric to wire the alarm system; that work is listed among the claims the board approved at the meeting.

Joel also reported ongoing collection programs: Tammy Koger delivered a load of vapes collected from local schools that filled about half of a 15‑gallon drum; the district will hold that material until more is available so shipping by container is cost‑effective. The district shipped three loads of electronic waste in recent months to OmniSource, and Joel said the district has been satisfied with the vendor’s service and pricing.

On potential funding changes, Joel said he received a notice that the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) is creating a statewide material management plan, which "may open up some funding from the state for waste disposal," and the director included a link to the plan in his written report for board members to review.

The biggest operational issue Joel described was used cooking oil from residents and community groups. He said Mahoney Recycling (in Illinois) formerly accepted and even paid the district a small amount for oil, but the vendor changed its policy and no longer accepts potentially mixed loads from the public. "They came and pumped out about 600 gallons of vegetable oil from our site, and that cost us about $3,600 to get rid of," Joel said, adding that hauling rules complicate options: the district was told a person may only legally haul about 55 gallons without a waste‑generator ID, which limits informal pickup or reuse arrangements.

Because of that expense and uncertainty, Joel said he changed a line item in next year’s budget from "battery disposal" to "waste cooking oil disposal" to cover future costs if the district continues to receive oil from the public.

Joel described the district’s latex paint handling: staff used sawdust from Coomer’s Sawmill to dry roughly 1,000 gallons of latex paint (about eight pallets) so the material can go to landfill rather than to a hazardous‑waste vendor. "We dried out about roughly a thousand gallons, about 8 pallets worth of latex paint," Joel said, noting that the approach has been used for many years and is more practical than individual household drying methods.

Joel closed by noting coordination with the City of Frankfort on its recycling program; Brian Kilman, the city’s street superintendent, has met with the district and the city’s board of works to explore changes the city may propose. Joel said the district will return to the board with recommendations after the city’s committee meetings.

Votes at a glance: The board approved the minutes and approved the claims by voice vote; the meeting ended with a motion to adjourn that carried. The transcript records affirmative "aye" responses but does not include numerical tallies for the votes.

The director’s report covered technical fixes, routine collection updates and one material‑management problem that produced an immediate budget impact; staff flagged the issue for future budgeting and said they will report back on any program or policy changes prompted by IDEM’s statewide planning or the City of Frankfort’s recycling review.