Bid award solid waste project

COLFAX — On Monday, Dec. 5, at the County Commissioner meeting, the Solid Waste Project bid was awarded to Magnum Construction out of Clarkston for the amount of $1,719,523.64.

Public Director and County Engineer Mark Storey, explained that the project has to do with the entrance scale for the Whitman County Solid Waste Transfer Site and Landfill on Carothers Road.

“The entrance scale is worn out, it’s calibrated, but it’s at the end of its life,” said Storey, “We’re going to replace the main scale.”

Storey added that they’re going to add a second scale to handle in and out traffic, along with two additions to the scale shack. “We have to build several a couple hundred yards of roadway to allow for extra space for the scale,” he said.

The scale was build in the 1970’s, Storey noted, “10 years ago we were pushing around 25,000 tons of waste per year,” he said, adding that the amount of waste the county is generating is going up. Some of which can be recycled, but some of it can’t. He explained that prepackaged foods that come in packaging cannot be recycled.

The transfer station is the only one in the county, and is a landfill for demolition waste.

“That project will start sometime in the spring,” Storey said, noting that it won’t be done until around Thanksgiving or Christmas next year. “It will take a while to build,” he added, noting that they can’t shut it down so people can still bring their trash out to the landfill.

They plan to replace the old scale next fall, but Storey added that they will always have one scale open to the public.