Solid Waste and Recycling

Mission
The Vermillion Solid Waste Department is part of a cooperative integrative waste management system providing responsible regional management for the disposal of municipal solid waste and for the drop-off, collection, processing and marketing of recyclable materials for residents in communities and counties in Southeastern South Dakota.

History
In 1976, a joint effort by Clay County and the City of Vermillion selected and developed a landfill site on the Bluff Road four miles north of Vermillion. In 1991/92, this site was officially closed and a new expansion site was opened directly to the east of the first site. The new expansion site, engineered under Sub-title D federal / state regulations was and is approved by the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The construction and operation of the current landfill site meets State of South Dakota rules and regulations as accepted for state primacy by federal EPA. State DENR inspectors inspect the site annually.

Joint Vermillion/Yankton Solid Waste System
In 1994, a Joint Solid Waste System & Joint Powers Advisory Board was initiated. The City of Vermillion implemented a Joint Powers Agreement with Clay County, the City of Yankton, and Yankton County for the ownership, management and funding of a solid waste system. The System includes the Vermillion/Clay Landfill, City of Vermillion Missouri Valley Recycling center and the Yankton Transfer/Recycling facility. The agreement's base intention is to mitigate the rising cost of integrated waste management. Under the terms of the agreement, Vermillion and Yankton share resources and funding for the integrated waste management system while exercising local control of employees engaged in waste management activities.

In 1994, the City of Vermillion instituted the position of a Solid Waste Director for the management of the joint solid waste system. The position includes responsibility for the landfill and recycling operation and management and coordination with the Yankton transfer facility.

Since the inception, rural Union County, City of Elk Point and residents of the City of Centerville have become customers of the Joint System.

Joint Powers Advisory Board
The Joint Powers Advisory Board members represent each of the public entities.

City of Vermillion Landfill Directions
31426 Bluff Road (605) 677- 7059 Hwy 19 to Bluff Rd. Clay County

The Joint Powers City of Vermillion Landfill site is located four miles northwest of Vermillion. Clay County Hwy 19 - North (approx. 1.5 miles) to Bluff Rd. North/west (approx. 2 miles)--Clay County. The City of Vermillion does not provide waste hauling. Waste Hauling is provided by local private waste hauling companies.

The facility is operated as a balefill
and most waste will be tipped on the
floor of the baler building. All customers
are to stop at the gate house adjacent
to the baler building. Loads will be
weighed.

Vermillion Landfill Rates & Services

The landfill reserves the right to impose additional fees on loads deemed to be not in keeping with the above rates. This fee will be set in accordance with time and operations costs affected.

Special Programs

Vermillion / Clay County Voucher Program
Each year, the city of Vermillion joined by Clay County provides each household a voucher. The Voucher is good up to a value of $15 and may be used within any one day up to the last day of November. Vouchers are published in our local newspaper and may be obtained at the Landfill office, City Hall, County Auditor's office, and at the Missouri Valley Recycling.

Frequently Asked Questions of Landfill

Q How long is the life of our landfill?
A With care and aggressive recycling, our landfill should provide solid waste disposal for up to 75 to 80 years or until about 2080. The incorporation of baling our waste has extended the life of the landfill.

Q What is a Balefill?
A A Balefill is a landfill that bales the garbage before it is placed into the landfill cells. All waste is tipped (unloaded) on the floor of the balefill building. The reasons for a balefill include the following: Less blowing debris; Greater ability for load inspection reducing unwanted materials; Reduction of liquids (Leachate) entering landfill; Liquid (Leachate) collected in system in building; More pounds per inch in landfill - Baler provides greater compacting than standard landfill practices; and Safer for public and employees.

Q What is a Tipping Fee?
A The tipping fee is the charge for disposal of waste. The solid waste system is operated as an enterprise system and no Tax dollars support the Solid Waste Department. System expenses are supported by the tipping fees and the sale of recycling product.

Q Does the tipping fee include a fee imposed by the state?
A The tipping fee includes a $1.00 per ton fee, which is paid the State of South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The funds support the Solid Waste Loan and Grant Project Fund. Our area has received a number of grants and loans from this fund.

Waste Haulers

Private companies provide waste hauling. Any of the haulers listed below are licensed in Vermillion.

City of Vermillion Missouri Valley Recycling Hours
840 North Crawford Road 605 677 7076 / 7159

The City of Vermillion Missouri Valley Recycling is a Drop-off Recycling facility provided to the pubic though the cooperative effort of communities and counties in Southeastern South Dakota. The facility and programs are available to the public and businesses located in Clay and Yankton Counties and portions of Union County and are operated through the Vermillion/Yankton Joint Solid Waste Authority.

Recycling Rates & Services
There is no charge to drop-off recyclable materials. The recycling program is supported through the sale of the materials and subsidized from a $3.00 per ton fee charged at the Vermillion Landfill.

Currently there is no curbside collection in Vermillion SD. The Facility does provide some limited collection for State office paper recycling. If you are interested in cooperating with the state office paper or a commercial pilot-recycling project, please contact the Solid Waste Director 605 677 7076.

Recycling Public Drop-off
Materials are accepted under the following conditions only:
840 North Crawford Road
Deliver to the South Side of Building
During Operating Hours Only
Empty & Rinsed Containers
Clean & Dry
Sorted by Type
Please Discard Plastic Lids

Satellite drop off trailers are located:
Next to the City of Vermillion Liquor Store Pamida parking Lot

Recycling Materials Accepted
At the Missouri Valley Recycling Drop off Sites

• Plastic #1 & #2 Tin Cans
• Aluminum Cans & Foil (Market share price paid for aluminum cans)
• Newspaper
• Corrugated Cardboard
• Computer & White Paper
• Mixed Office & Pastel Paper (includes junk mail & window envelopes)
• Shred Office Paper
• Magazines, Catalogues & Slicks
• Books & Phone Books
• Scrap Metals - Clean Aluminum, Brass, Copper

Special Programs

Paint Exchange - Usable Paint & Household Hazardous Materials
Accepted for reuse and exchange in the Education Center (front door).

The Missouri Valley Recycling provides no Collection of Waste oil - Local service stations and the City Shop located on Duke St. generally will accept this material.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)
The Department provides HHW collection in a one day event every other year. The next scheduled event will take place on or about October 2007.

Agricultural Pesticide Containers
Triple Rinsed accepted week days prior to 3:00 pm.

We Sell Mulch

Frequently Asked Questions at Recycling:

Q Do you Buy Aluminum cans?
A Yes, the recycling center pays a share of the Market Price for aluminum Cans.

Q Are you open over the noon Hour?
A Yes, We have people on duty from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. We do request people to bring materials prior to 4:15 PM so they are finished by 4:30.

Q What Materials do you take?
A Plastic #1 & #2 Tin Cans including empty spray cans & empty paint cans Aluminum Cans & Foil (Market share price paid for aluminum cans) Newspaper including slicks Corrugated Cardboard - staples OK Computer & White Paper Mixed Office & Pastel Paper include junk mail & window envelopes Shred Office Paper Magazines & Catalogues Hard Cover Books & Phone Books

Q How should I separate my materials at home?
A There is no set or best way to set up a home or office recycling system. Come in and talk to us.

Q Why do you not take glass and is there any one around that does?
A We are sorry we do not take glass and we do not know of any program currently taking glass. We do not see things changing any time soon. We do not take glass for a number of reasons:

• Employee safety - Glass is dangerous to handle.
• Market prices do not cover the processing and shipping costs.
• Our processing equipment broke down and purchase of new equipment is not cost effective on a product that creates a loss.
• Glass does not create an environmental hazard at the landfill.

Helpful Hints for Recycling

Recycling Sorting Instructions

Plastic #1 & #2
Throw caps away and remove all contents. Please empty your pop bottles, we can't drink the contents and the liquid is a problem at the recycling center. By the way, peanut butter must be cleaned out. On the bottom of most plastics, you will find the "recycling chasing arrows and a number from 1 to 7. We recycle only the # 1 and #2. At the Missouri Valley recycling, we ask you to separate the # 1 (mostly pop bottles) from the #2 Natural (translucent milk jugs) and the #2 Color (laundry detergent, white milk jugs, etc.)

Tin Cans
Clean and remove labels. Remove ends when possible, place into a can with one end on and flatten open end. We really do not want the cat food. If a label is difficult to remove we will accept.

Aluminum Cans & Foil
Clean and dry. When you are fishing, please do not put the lead weights in your pop cans; when you are smoking or eating candy please do not put the butts and wrappers in your pop cans. We cannot sell aluminum when contaminated with lead, butts, or paper.

Paper Recycling Instructions

Newspaper
Loose, no string, rubber bands, or bags. Place slicks (only coupon pages and glossy magazine advertising with sharp cut edge) with magazines.

Magazines, Catalogues & Slicks
Loose, no string, rubber bands, or bags. Glossy paged magazines only.

Corrugated Cardboard
Layered cardboard and brown paper sacks only. No waxed or shiny-coated boxes (no beer or cereal boxes). Computer & White Paper Bond and ledger, letterhead OK. No colored paper. No Rubber bands, paper clips, plastic binders, ream wrap, or carbon paper.

Mixed Office & Pastel Paper
Pastel paper, file folder, junk mail including window envelopes. No rubber bands, paper clips, plastic binders, ream wrap, and no deep bright colored paper.

Shred Office Paper
Clear bags preferred. No carbon, glossy slick, or intense or bright colored paper. Shred ledger may not contain window enveloped and shred paper may not contain magazines or newspaper.

Paper Recycling No No's
The following materials cannot be recycled. The paper you recycle is sold to mills that grind up the material into pulp and then make the pulp into new paper. The materials listed below are considered contamination because they will not mix into the new product and can destroy thousands of tons of new recycled paper. The Missouri Valley Recycling personnel sort all paper that comes through the facility. Many hours are spent taking out the following materials. We cannot sell the paper to market if it contains any of the following materials. Please help us.

Links

South Dakota Solid Waste Management Association
www.SDSWMA.org

SD Dept of Env. & Natural Resources - Solid Waste www.state.sd.us/denr/DES/WasteMgn/WMPpage1.htm

SD Dept of Env. & Natural Resources - Recycling www.state.sd.us/denr/des/WasteMgn/Recycling/Recyclepage1.htm

Recycling Education

General
www.wsra.net/Education/Education.html www.siouxfalls.org/PublicWorks/solid_waste/recycling.aspx

Pop Bottles
www.napcor.com

Plastics
www.container-recycling.org

Steel
www.recycle-steel.org

Paper www.weyerhaeuser.com/ourbusinesses/ pulppaperpckging/recycling/education/

Kids
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/kids/space/index.htm www.siouxfalls.org/PublicWorks/solid_waste/recycling.aspx www.epa.gov/students/waste.htm

Buy Recycled
www.hammersplastic.com
www.recycledproducts.org
www.buyrecycled.com