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Montezuma County plans free green-waste acceptance and household hazardous waste collection during burn ban
Summary
County staff said the landfill will accept green waste for composting without charge when a burn ban is in effect, discussed CDPHE assistance for tire cleanups, and outlined a household hazardous waste event with LEPC and volunteers.
Commissioners and staff discussed a multi-part community cleanup plan that would allow residents to bring green waste to the county landfill for composting at no charge during any burn ban, establish a tire- and trash-collection weekend, and run a household hazardous waste collection under LEPC coordination.
"When the burn ban is implemented, instead of burning it, we'll take it at the landfill for, composting, and we won't charge you anything," Unidentified Speaker 1 said. Staff member Mel confirmed loads still must be weighed and tracked: "They still gotta come across the scale and weigh... I have to track all that and report it to the state." The county discussed using available landfill space and piling material if necessary.
Commissioners discussed past tire-cleanup efforts and state support. Unidentified Speaker 2 said CDPHE "offers financial assistance to people that have [a] large amount of tire on the property" and noted that licensed haulers are required for transporting more than nine tires. Staff acknowledged some residents will wait for free days, but commissioners said prevention and community cleanup outweighed the risk of some abuse.
The county also discussed a LEPC-organized household hazardous waste day to collect paints, thinners, batteries, mercury and other dangerous items. Unidentified Speaker 5 described operational plans and volunteer staffing, and recommended law-enforcement presence at HHW collection points because of unpredictable or hazardous materials.
Logistics discussed included holding a cleanup weekend (Friday–Saturday or Saturday only) to maximize participation; staffing constraints were noted (two scale operators on weekends), and commissioners agreed to allocate funds to cover cleanup days. Commissioners asked staff to propose dates (May–June window was suggested) and to return with a recommended plan.
No formal motion to fund or schedule the event was taken at the workshop; commissioners assigned follow-ups and confirmed outreach channels for public messaging.
