So far, Pierce County residents cleaning up after the recent storms have dumped more than 7,000 tons of broken branches, fallen limbs and other debris at landfills.
That’s roughly the weight of the Eiffel Tower.
On the busiest day, someone unloaded storm debris every 18 seconds.
And handling the growing mounds of yard waste already has cost the county and Tacoma about $2.6 million.
Those are just some of the figures about the continuing storm cleanup, which has forced residents and government workers alike to spend precious sunny days cutting, hauling and composting debris from last month’s snow and ice storms.
“It was the first decent weather we had after the storm to get things done,” said Gary Lepinski, a University Place man who spent last weekend chopping branches into small pieces and trucking them to the Tacoma landfill. “It was just so busy. Everybody had the same idea.”
All of the landfills have seen a significant increase in traffic, especially on weekends. Residents said they’ve waited in mile-long lines and for more than an hour but are overall satisfied with their experience at the transfer stations.
Lepinski and his stepson tried to dump a load of limbs and branches Saturday, but turned around after seeing the line. They returned Sunday and, though they spent 90 minutes getting in and out of the landfill, they understood the rush as many others took advantage of clear skies to unburden their yards.
Hidden Valley Transfer Station in South Hill, 17925 Meridian Ave., appears to be the busiest of the bunch.
On Saturday, for instance, 196 customer transactions occurred every business hour, which averages out to one every 18 seconds. Within a 10-day span at the county’s three transfer stations, landfill operators counted 15,868 transactions.
For comparison purposes, county officials said the Prairie Ridge facility usually handles 528 tons of garbage and 219 tons of yard waste in January. In less than two weeks after the most recent storm, the facility took in 631 tons of storm debris.
Within a 10-day span at the Tacoma landfill, operators counted 2,715 vehicles stopping at the weigh stations. Their busiest day was Saturday, when 503 people unloaded storm debris.
On an average January day, the Tacoma landfill sees 30 to 70 customers and 10 to 20 tons of waste, said Gary Kato, acting manager of the city’s Solid Waste Management Division.
Changes had to be made to accommodate the influx of customers and storm debris.
The Tacoma landfill opened an area usually closed off and set up four temporary sites where residents could leave yard waste that landfill workers later brought to the main property. Extra equipment was requested to grind the debris into mulch and employees were sent out to flag and direct vehicles.
Personnel were ramped up at all facilities.
The City of Tacoma brought in at least 24 additional drivers to move debris from the temporary sites and had an additional three or four employees helping at the landfill. LRI, which owns one county landfill and operates the rest, normally has 29 workers on the weekend but had 45 last weekend.
“On the weekdays, it comes in surges. On the weekends, it’s steady all the time,” said John Rodgers, division vice president for Waste Connections Inc., of which LRI is a subsidiary. “We knew we would get hit very, very hard the first weekend.”
Another weekend of good weather is sure to translate into hundreds more lugging yard waste to the landfills. Tacoma has closed its temporary sites at Vassault Park, Center at Norpoint, Ehli Auction and TAGRO, so all storm debris must be taken directly to the landfill.
County residents can unload debris at Hidden Valley, Purdy and Prairie Ridge transfer stations, as well as a collection site at White’s Pit on Anderson Island.
Landfill operators said planning, experience and cooperative residents have kept their operations running efficiently.
Pierce County has a contract with LRI that includes emergency management, which meant there was a “good group of people to bring experience and institutional knowledge and make the right call,” said Steve Wamback, solid waste administrator for county Public Works & Utilities.
The contract also meant cheaper fees. Under the contract, the county pays no more than $88.90 a ton. If residents were to pay themselves, the fee would be $123.29.
Although the county’s landfill operator needed to rely on its emergency management handbook, the city did not.
“This (storm) didn’t get to the point where it kicked in anything major,” said Kato, adding that the emergency plans are set up for large events like earthquakes. “This storm was obviously a big deal and a lot of material, but it wasn’t that far out of what we can set up and arrange and have our folks do.”
Most of the branches are being composted and spread throughout the landfills. Some may be used as hog fuel for local paper mills.
The debris has added up in more than just time and effort for the county.
“The path we’re on right now, just for debris handling, we will be spending over $2 million,” Wamback said.
Tacoma’s costs aren’t as high, but some expenditures remain unknown because work still needs to be done, Kato said.
The city has spent between $50,000 and $60,000 for debris work and additional staffing. That money could be reimbursed if the state qualifies under rules of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The city also spent about $26,000 to collect curbside garbage the Saturday after the storm because crews were unable to get trucks out for one day during the storm. That cost cannot be reimbursed by FEMA.
Public agencies are still reporting expenses related to infrastructure damage and cleanup. To be eligible for reimbursement, Pierce County’s tally has to be at least $2.7 million. As of Tuesday, county Emergency Management spokeswoman Sheri Badger said the county was reporting $4.1 million.
Although Pierce County has met its threshold, officials have to wait and see if the state does the same. The state’s tally must reach at least $9.1 million in storm cleanup costs, which will mostly come from Pierce, King and Thurston counties.
Stacia Glenn: 253-597-8653
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