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Solid Waste Advisory Committee update: 6 million pounds removed, compactor replacement scheduled, contract award set for Sept. 30
Summary
Thurston County commissioners received a Solid Waste Advisory Committee briefing about a large environmental compliance removal of more than 6,000,000 pounds of waste from a site, permitting failures that contributed to the problem, and capital projects at the transfer station including a new 150-horsepower compactor and site security upgrades.
Thurston County commissioners heard an update from the Solid Waste Advisory Committee on a major environmental compliance case and several transfer station capital projects.
Committee members reported that cleanup work removed more than 6,000,000 pounds of waste from a single site after an initial complaint led to a larger environmental compliance investigation. County staff said the removal exposed additional problems beyond the original report and that the person responsible had not obtained required permits, which contributed to the scope of the cleanup.
The committee also reported project updates at the county transfer station. A compactor replacement is on schedule, with installation, commissioning and staff training planned for late October. The new compactor is rated at 150 horsepower, up from the existing 125-horsepower unit, and is expected to increase throughput. A security and technology site improvements project was reported as 99% complete; commissioners were told the work has dramatically reduced false alarms and related disruptions.
The board was told a $125,000 general renovations project is scheduled to begin after the security work is finished; that project has a projected two- to three-year timeline. Commissioners were also informed that a consultant for a large reconfiguration project has been selected and that the board will consider awarding a contract on Sept. 30. Staff said the overall reconfiguration project is slightly behind schedule by a few months but remains on track.
Commissioners asked staff to follow up on permitting lessons from the compliance case and consider mitigation steps to reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future. No formal action was taken at the check-in.
