Solid Waste Transfer Station Expected to be Operational by Spring

Construction is underway on the new solid waste transfer station and it is expected to be operational by spring.
County Mayor Tim Stribling updated the county commission Monday night after seventh district commissioner Larry Summers asked about the progress of the project “The transfer station is coming along great. The building is going up. The steel frame has been erected. They are getting ready to put on the sheet metal. The foundation for the scales has been laid. They have the pad poured for the office that is next to the big building. Everything is running on schedule. Hopefully by March we’ll be operational. Then we will be closing down the Class I cell after we’re up and running good with the transfer station. The rest of the Class I cell will be turned into a Class III/IV landfill (for non-household solid waste). The permit has already been sent in to the state requesting the change from a Class I to the Class III/IV. The road is cut (to the facility). A new two lane road that extends on from Moog Boulevard. The electric poles are set. I don’t know if the lines are run. Gas and sewer have been run. The city still has to run the water down to the new road but it (project) is taking shape. I’d recommend anybody drive out there and take a look at it,” said County Mayor Stribling.
Household garbage from DeKalb County will be hauled to the Smith County landfill for disposal after the solid waste transfer station is up and running.
The county commission in August voted to enter into a five year contract with the neighboring county who will dispose of DeKalb County’s solid waste at the rate of $29.00 a ton. The commission also awarded a bid to Elk Mountain Construction of Cookeville to build the transfer station in the Smithville Industrial Park on Highway 70 east behind Tenneco Automotive. Elk Mountain’s base bid was $1,308,092 with a deductive alternate of $425,077 from the base bid for road work into the proposed facility.
The county still has to find some way it getting the garbage to Smith County. The county could either haul it or contract the service.