Stop procrastinating your spring cleaning, new transfer station fees start soon
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IDAHO FALLS — A service that was once totally subsidized through county taxes will soon require a fee.
Bonneville County commissioners have approved new fees for residents and higher fees to non-residents wanting to use the Bonneville County Hatch Pit and Transfer Station.
“The hatch pit has been filling up faster over past couple years,” Commissioner Roger Christensen tells EastIdahoNews.com. “We have done things to help with that, like turning old tree branches into mulch and recycling the metal.”
The fee change starts April 3. Both the hatch pit and transfer station only accepts cash or check. Businesses are encouraged to set up an invoice account for billing purposes.
Hatch Pit employees say during the summer they see over 500 cars a day come through while at the transfer station the daily car count varies but is often in the hundreds. Weekly, both solid waste sites see hundreds of vehicles from surrounding counties like Jefferson and Bingham.
“It costs about $900,000 a year to operate the Hatch Pit,” Bonneville County Public Works Director Steven Rounds said. “That pays for the employees, the equipment and the up keep”
Rounds said with the sales of wood chips, recycled metal and the current fees, they only bring in close to $125,000.
Rounds believes the new fees will likely bring in around $100,000 a years, saving the taxpayers money.
“We have had a large increase in waste come in during the last few years,” Rounds said. “There’s a lot of evidence that points to that waste coming in from other counties.”
Christensen said there are concerns about Bonneville County residents paying the cost to process other county resident’s waste.
The hatch pit was anticipated to be full two years ago, but due to the county’s recycling efforts officials have been able to keep it operating.
“The most important thing right now is to keep the hatch pit open,” Rounds said. “It will be incredibly expensive to find a new location suitable.”
New demolition & construction waste fees for the Hatch Pit
| Vehicle type | In county | Out of county |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup | $5 | $15 |
| Trailer 8′ or less | $5 | $15 |
| Trailer greater than 8′ | $15 | $25 |
| 6-wheeler | $15 | $25 |
| 10-wheeler | $25 | $75 |
| Semi | $50 | $40/ton |
There will be no fee for clean wood, tree limbs or branches
Accepted waste at the Hatch Pit includes construction and demolition debris which has wood products, lumber, railroad ties, road spoils, bricks, concrete, packing material, bulky metal items, tree stumps, branches, yard debris, weeds, soil, rocks gravel and asphalt.
New transfer station fees per load for commercial waste
| Pickup | $5 |
| Trailer 8′ or less | $5 |
| Trailer greater than 8′ | $15 |
| 6-wheeler | $15 |
| 10-wheeler | $15 |
| Semi | $50 |
There is no fee for personal in county waste
All out of county waste fees will remain at $40 a ton.
Accepted waste at the Transfer Station includes all household garbage, bulky metal items, appliances, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, furniture, mattresses, carpet, tires (see fee schedule), automobile batteries (lead acid only), antifreeze, waste oil (5 gallons or less), paint (solidified only) and grass.
There is a $10 fee for refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners.