Resident urges Wheatland to stop burning green waste; council directs sanitation manager to study alternatives

Don Hale, a Wheatland resident, told the Wheatland City Council he was concerned that material burned at the town's transfer station had encroached near his fence and damaged property. "They burned my property," Hale said during the public comment period, describing wind-driven flames and smoke that reached within a few feet of his fence.

Hale said the transfer station's load composition included plastic bags, treated or painted wood and plywood mixed with green waste, which he said should not be burned. He urged the town to consider grinding or mulching green waste and to use a larger, more remote site for processing rather than open burning near residences.

Council members responded that the topic had already been discussed at a pre-meeting workshop and that Dean, the sanitation manager, would gather information from other municipalities on grinding and mulching programs. A council member noted Cheyenne as an example and said the sanitation manager would research cost-effectiveness, equipment options and how other towns process or market mulch.

Speakers also raised enforcement and safety concerns: council discussion referenced existing requirements to secure or tarp loads traveling to the transfer station and suggested stepped-up enforcement, including issuing tickets at the landfill scale if loads are not secured. Council members said they expected the town to phase out burning and pursue alternatives as regulations and community expectations change.

Council direction was procedural: staff were asked to research alternatives, estimate costs and return with recommendations. No ordinance or binding policy change was adopted at the meeting; the council did not vote on an immediate ban and instead directed further study and follow-up from the sanitation department.