The Presque Isle Landfill and Tri-Community Landfill in Fort Fairfield will be merging operations effective Jan. 1, 2019. Presque Isle, Caribou, Fort Fairfield, and Limestone will combine their solid waste infrastructure together and be co-owners of a new entity that will be known as Aroostook Waste Solutions. We have received some specific questions on details of the merger and some of them will be addressed in this column.
Decal permits will be required at the Presque Isle Landfill on Jan. 2, 2019 with one exception. The exception is that no decal permit is required if you are delivering items that do not go directly into the landfill itself. So, no decal permit is required if you are taking recyclables, compostable waste, metal items, wood, tires, or universal waste. Decal permits are required for vehicles with construction debris, demolition debris, and refuse (a.k.a. trash, a.k.a. garbage).
Decal permits grant you access to the landfill. Additional disposal fees are required with two exceptions. One exception is that no fee is required for recyclables, compostables, and most metal items. No fee is required for recyclables that include HDPE #2 plastic, newspaper, magazines, catalogs, cans, and cardboard. No fee is required for compostable waste that includes grass clippings, leaves, prunings, and tree limbs less than half-inch in diameter. No fee is required for metal items other than washing machines, dryers, furnaces, water heaters, kitchen stoves, and Freon™ containing appliances.
The second exception is that Presque Isle residents do not pay additional fees for their refuse (a.k.a. trash, a.k.a. garbage). Disposal fees are required for everything else. All users must pay fees for demolition debris, wood, certain metal appliances, and universal waste (fluorescent bulbs, televisions, and monitors). Residents of communities other than Presque Isle and all businesses regardless of residency must pay fees for refuse disposal. There are User Guide fliers available at the landfill and City Hall that list the various fees as well at the City’s website www.presqueislemaine.gov.
Another question that has been asked is where decal permits can be purchased. Presque Isle residents will purchase decal permits at City Hall. Residents of Mapleton, Chapman, and Castle Hill can purchase permits at the Mapleton Town Office. All businesses that use the Presque Isle Landfill can purchase decal permits at City Hall. Proof of residency is required in the form of a motor vehicle registration. Permits may be available before the end of the year. An announcement will be made when they are available for sale.
We have been asked about alternatives for residents that generate very low amounts of waste. There are two options for residents that do not have much waste. Both options require you to contact either Gil’s Sanitation at 769-0711 or Star City Sanitation at 764-1692 for more information. Both companies offer a lower rate of $25 per month for senior citizens. Both companies allow drop-off of bagged refuse at their places of business for $5 per bag. It is strongly recommended that you contact both companies for details because there are some differences in what each waste hauler offers.
Don’t forget that curbside collection using blue bags ends on Dec. 31. If you set out blue bags with recyclables in 2019, they will be considered trash. We anticipate that the new igloos for drop-off recycling will be placed in Presque Isle before the end of the month. There will be three sets of igloos set in the Star City with additional sets placed in Mapleton and Washburn. The locations for igloos in Presque Isle will be City Hall, Presque Isle Landfill, and near the Court House off Chapman Street.
If you have any questions about waste disposal or recycling, please contact the Solid Waste Division at 760-2712 or email us at dfowler@presqueisleme.us. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the merger of the two landfills are also available on the City’s website at www.presqueislemaine.gov.
Dana H. Fowler, P.E., is public services director for the city of Presque Isle. He can be reached at 760-2707 or via email at dfowler@presqueisleme.us.
