Don't use landfill changes to excuse bad behavior

Since April when we first heard about the Washakie County Solid Waste Disposal District No. 1 Board announcing changes to rates and hours I have been relatively silent but recent comments and social media posts have spurred me to voice my opinion on the matter.

Back in April the Washakie County Solid Waste Disposal District No. 1 Board announced an increase in fees and a change of hours. They had three meetings with no public in attendance after the announcement was made.

The Worland City Council had three readings of an ordinance to raise its own fees to cover the increase. There was no public at those meetings to discuss the increase.

Recently I saw people complain about the rates and lack of Saturday hours on social media. One poster did point to all the articles we have published on the issue.

But what really bothered me is that people said you will start to see people dumping in public lands because of this.

Let’s be real. People have been dumping in public lands as long, probably longer, than I have been alive (it’s been a few decades). Long before there were rates charged, long before Saturday hours were cut.

Why do people do that? Because they have zero respect for their public lands and zero respect for their fellow residents who use the public lands. It has nothing to do with rates and or hours.

What is even funnier is that some of the things that are dumped, there is no charge for — wild game for residents (noncommercial) is free, appliances and metal (free of freon) are free, batteries are free, used motor oil (noncommercial) free.

People have suggested that perhaps the landfill could close during a weekday and be open on Saturdays, but that means the City of Worland cannot pick up trash on that weekday and that is not great for businesses in the city.

Also, after the city stopped Saturday pick up, the amount of trash on Saturdays dropped considerably. Manager Mike Siegfried said they need at least 17 tons of trash per day to break even.

The past few months they have not even come close open just one Saturday per month of receiving that amount of trash with just 5 tons on Nov. 1.

The landfill board had discussed keeping more Saturdays but it would have required an even larger increase in fees, something they did not want to do. The landfill lost over $100,000 in revenue with loss of property tax revenue from the exemptions offered residents.

They have cut where they can and still meet state and federal regulations.

While the landfill offers a service it has to operate as a business. There are many businesses in Washakie County only open certain days and certain hours and if you need to go there you have to work with their schedule.

I have heard people piling up their trash to be able to take on the one Saturday (the first Saturday of each month). That makes sense.

Some have said they work 8 to 5 so they cannot make it out on a weekday. I understand that but I also know people like myself usually have to find someone with a pickup to help haul things to the dump because I do not have a pickup.

We make things work when it is important to us. We find time to get to the post office or the bank, or shop at our local stores that may have limited hours. We make the time and plan our night out for the movies or dinner, according to the schedules for those businesses.

If you have any questions or concerns or complaints about the landfill, reach out to them directly – 307-347-3846 or email washakiecountylandfillboard@gmail.com. And, if you would rather pay more than 4 cents per pound to have more than one Saturday at the landfill, let them know that too.

But what you should not do is just complain about it on social media and do NOT dump trash on public lands and then say that the landfill rates and hours is your excuse for being an irresponsible citizen.