The average amount of waste accepted by the landfill each year is 240,000 tons. Recycling services currently offered by the City of Billings Landfill include the collection of metals, newspaper, cardboard, antifreeze and used oil. Vehicles entering the landfill are charged by the weight of the load. In 1999, major improvements were made to the landfill that included upgrading the scales, public drop boxes, developing a composting area, and putting in a paved road.Īs a Class II facility, the landfill accepts municipal solid waste, yard waste, wood, construction and demolition debris, asbestos, contaminated dirt, tires, sewage sludge, refinery waste and agricultural waste. The property consists of approximately 842 acres with 254 acres licensed for waste disposal. The Billings Regional Landfill is located approximately three miles south of Billings, near the Yellowstone River. With a fleet of 43 trucks and 64 employees, 33,000 homes receive solid waste collection. Currently, Billings residents pay $98 a year. Although Billings experienced rapid growth between 19, costs to residents remained a constant $54 per year as the division simultaneously increased operating efficiency. With the addition of the one-manned barrel trucks, cans were no longer used in alleys and the required manpower was reduced by nearly 50 percent over the next 10 years. By 1980, roll-off trucks that transported large drop boxes were purchased and the first automated front loaders began service to accommodate the increasing commercial demand. Two-manned ShuPak trucks joined the growing fleet, which increased worker efficiency. With two loaders and a driver assigned to each truck, Billings residents’ garbage was collected mainly from alleys and then compacted in route to the current landfill. In the late 1960’s, the Solid Waste Division purchased its first rear-loading garbage truck. The service allowed for the transportation of residents’ refuse to the local landfill located near Coulson Park, south of Billings along the Yellowstone River. That's understandable.The history of the Solid Waste Division for the City of Billings begins in 1948 with the introduction and usage of a horse drawn buggy. 10-5514, § 6, 6-14-10)Īs crime continues to tick upward in Montana, people seem fairly sensitive to strangers poking around in their alleyways, even if the person is just looking for free stuff in the trash. This section shall not restrict the authority of law enforcement officials to conduct a search of refuse receptacles. This section shall not apply to the owner, occupant, lessee of residence, dwelling or other building so placing the refuse and receptacle or to others whose legal duty it is to handle the receptacles or contents, or to those who have been issued a permit for such purpose. No person shall remove, handle, pick or otherwise disturb the refuse receptacles or the contents thereof which have been properly placed for collection. Cromwell said the City of Billings Code Section 21-212 prohibits anyone from disturbing waste placed in refuse containers – aka “dumpster diving.” The code reads, An email to Nicole Cromwell, Billings Code Enforcement Supervisor, confirmed that it is not allowed. I'd heard variations on the legality of digging through dumpsters in Billings. A row of junk vehicles parked on the "north forty" along with old equipment and God-knows-what-else still seems fairly common in many rural areas. No doubt part of my grandparents' reluctance to throw stuff away stems from surviving the Great Depression. There aren't many silver spoons in my family tree. My appreciation for junk valuable stuff might come from my family's rural background, where many farmers and country folk seemed to keep everything. Taking stuff from the dump is illegal (for reasons I don't completely understand) plus, I'm confident my spouse doesn't want me bringing another person's refuse home. "I can't believe someone is throwing that away!" I think to myself, resisting the urge to break the law and take some random piece of junk home. On trips to the Billings landfill or the Laurel Container Site, I'm always scanning the piles of old bicycles, barbeques, and other odds-ends. Not like in a reality show, hoarder fashion, but more like a weird appreciation for items that have been cast off by their owners.
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