Garbage to be sent to Saline County

The final destination for garbage collected in Hot Springs and unincorporated Garland County will be moving closer to its point of origin, a move officials said will lower transportation costs.

The area’s nonhazardous household, commercial and industrial waste will be interred at the Saline County Regional Solid Waste Facility effective Oct. 1 of next year, per the waste disposal agreement the Southwest Central Regional Solid Waste Management District entered

into with BFI Waste Systems of Arkansas LLC in March.

Garbage from the city and county is currently hauled to the Waste Management of Arkansas Inc.-run Two Pines Landfill in North Little Rock, sending transport drivers on a more than threehour round trip. Randy Atkinson, the city’s solid waste director, said the Saline County site in Bauxite will cut travel time by half.

He said the city’s transport drivers make about eight trips a day from the transfer station on Scott Street to North Little Rock.

“We’re excited about getting to go over there,” he said. “I haven’t had any complaints with Two Pines. They’ve been really good. But we went and toured Saline County, and they run a real slick operation over there.

“I think it’s going to save in fuel, wear and tear on equipment and hours. It’s just going to be a good thing for the district overall.”

Billy Sawyer, Garland County’s deputy director of environmental services, said the county makes 14 to 16 trips a day to Two Pines, carrying about 80,000 pounds of garbage each time. Drivers depart from the county’s Cedar Glades Landfill and transfer stations on highways 7 north and 70 west.

The county landfill is not permitted for degradable waste. Its Class 4 designation allows it to accept construction and demolition waste, appliances, furniture and other bulky items.

Garland County Judge Rick Davis, the solid waste district’s chairman, said the current contract that took effect in

2012 was more cost effective than going to Saline County. It charges Hot Springs, Arkadelphia, Garland and Hot Spring counties tipping fees of $17.49 per ton.

The Jefferson County Landfill can also be used for a higher fee of $18.60 per ton. The city and county budgeted

$825,000 and $740,000, respectively, for

2018 landfill fees.

“We did an analysis to try to see if the one in Saline County would be cheaper, but when the numbers came back on the last contract it was still cheaper to go with Waste Management,” Davis said. “This time the bids came back to where it’s going to save us money to go to Saline County.

“It’s going to save us money, as far as fuel, wear and tear, labor, the whole nine yards.”

Tipping fees will be $19.25 per ton under the seven-year contract that takes effect next October. The fee doubles to $38.56 on holidays.