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Metro Waste Authority tells Grimes residents to use battery and hazardous-waste drop-offs after recent fire
Summary
Mike McCoy, CEO of Metro Waste Authority, told the Grimes City Council that lithium batteries are a growing fire risk and highlighted Authority programs that keep local rates low — including hazardous-waste and battery drop-offs, recycling education and regional transfer stations.
Mike McCoy, chief executive of Metro Waste Authority, told the Grimes City Council on June 23 that lithium batteries are a leading cause of fires at regional waste facilities and urged residents to use drop-off programs and recycling services the Authority provides.
McCoy said Metro Waste manages curbside garbage, recycling and yard waste for Grimes residents and highlighted several metrics: about 4,642 households are served for curbside service and Grimes residents disposed of roughly 4,200 tons of garbage curbside this year; recycling collection in the city totaled about 704 tons. He said Metro Waste's contamination rate across the metro is roughly 11—3% and praised Grimes residents for low contamination compared with regional averages.
"Batteries are our big push," McCoy said. "Lithium batteries are the main cause" of recent, serious incidents. McCoy recounted a large landfill fire this month he said was the largest in the Authority's 55-year history and attributed the blaze to lithium batteries; he added that the landfill fire took about 12 hours to fight but did not interrupt service to customers because staff internalized deliveries.
The Authority runs recycling and hazardous-waste services that McCoy said help contain costs for Grimes. He noted two permanent hazardous-waste drop-off sites (including one Grimes residents use) and ongoing expansion of battery and holiday-light drop-off locations; Metro-wide, he said drop-offs had reached about 20,000 pounds as of the meeting. McCoy also flagged an education program that will be celebrated at a national conference in October.
Council members thanked McCoy and described the partnership as helping keep local rates lower than they would be if each community contracted separately for those services. Council members and staff asked about operational details and schedule: McCoy said internalization of cart delivery and repair has reduced wait times for new or repaired carts from roughly 10 days to about 48 hours in Grimes.
The presentation concluded with McCoy's request that residents use permanent battery drop-offs and other recycling programs, and council members endorsed continued partnership with Metro Waste Authority.
The city did not take a vote on Metro Waste policy at this meeting; the presentation was an informational update.
