CARIBOU — Mark Draper, the solid waste director for the Tri-Community Landfill, provided the Rotary Club of Caribou with an update on the status of the landfill facility and programs during their regularly scheduled Wednesday meeting.
During his remarks, Draper noted that “Tri-Community is well-positioned to continue to serve the region’s solid waste disposal and recycling needs well into the future.”
He said, “Major projects that were completed in the recent past doubled the remaining capacity at the site; significantly improved the efficiency of the operation; and addressed environmental concerns.”
More specifically, he noted that there are currently about 40 years of remaining licensed capacity at the site, with an additional 20 years of capacity available should expansion be necessary.
Draper discussed Tri-Community’s approach to recycling. “It’s non-tax revenue,” he said. “When residents and businesses separate recyclable materials such as corrugated cardboard, newspaper, magazines, HDPE #2 plastic, and tin cans from the waste stream, those materials are sold by Tri-Community, and the revenue received is used to offset the cost of the landfill. We generate about $300,000 in gross revenue from the sale of these materials annually.”
Changes in Tri-Community’s demolition debris policy were also discussed.
“With limited exceptions, we have implemented a user-pay fee system for the disposal of demolition debris,” Draper explained. “This means that the generator will be responsible for paying the disposal fees, rather than the municipalities. This was done in an attempt to control municipal spending and property tax increases.”
The Tri-Community Recycling & Sanitary Landfill is a quasi-municipal corporation owned by the communities of Fort Fairfield, Limestone, and Caribou. Their mission is to provide solid waste management services to the Aroostook County region, in a way that is equitable, environmentally sound and cost-effective, so that those services can be provided over the long term.
