◆ Little will change in the disposal process for consumers.
IDAWY Solid Waste District has assumed management of Lincoln County waste facilities as of January 1, 2021. Lincoln County will continue to provide transfer stations to residents, but once treated, solid waste will be transported out of the county to a landfill location between Montpelier and Soda Springs, Idaho.
“We have established a solid waste district,” said Jason Lower, IDAWY Executive Director.
“There are 4 participating counties – Bear Lake County, Idaho, Caribou County, Idaho and Oneida County, Idaho and Lincoln County, Wyoming. It’s a very unique situation. It’s actually never been done before in the United States, so what a compliment to your county commissioners and their foresight.”
A commissioner from each of the counties worked on the committee that established the district and organized its function. Commissioner Jerry Harmon was the primary representative from Lincoln County, though Commissioners Robert King and Kent Connelly were both involved as well.
“We are going to build a regional landfill between Caribou County and Bear Lake County and all the waste will be shipped there,” said Lower. “It will be a state-of-the-art facility. We are also going to build a new transfer station in Thayne, so we are excited.”
“It will save costs in the long run and it’s really going to be a good thing,” said Commissioner Harmon. “We appreciate people’s patience with the change.”
Solid Waste is becoming more and more expensive to manage and it is increasingly difficult for small counties to manage the financial burden.
“It’s unbelievable what you can do to control costs and serve the people, which is really what we’re interested in,” said Lower. “We want to make sure that we are providing excellent service and control costs. We anticipate lowering costs in Lincoln County.”
Little will change in the disposal process for Lincoln County consumers. New structures will be the most noticeable change. Waste will be loaded on a semi-tractor and trailer and transported to the regional landfill.
“I have spent a lot of time with the employees over there in Lincoln County and we are providing a great benefit package to them,” said Lower. “We are continuing to grow as a region, and we are ahead of the curve with this.”
