Private companies benefit after landfill closing

Nearly a year since the closing of the Baker Place Road Landfill, phone calls continue to pour in daily to Columbia County's information line from residents wanting to know where they can take certain types of trash.

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"On an average, every day we take at least a dozen calls about it," said Cheryl Garcia, a customer service representative at the county's 311 information line. She said most calls are from residents wanting to know where they can take yard waste and bulky items such as old appliances.

Few of the calls actually rise to the level of a complaint, and many are from newcomers to the area, she said. Columbia County Commission Chairman Ron Cross said no complaints from residents have been brought to his attention since the county's only landfill closed.

The landfill officially ceased public operations July 1. Since it closed, household garbage and other items previously accepted by the landfill have been accepted at the Advance Disposal waste transfer station at 5734 Columbia Road, in Grovetown, and the Deans Bridge Road Solid Waste Facility at 4330 Deans Bridge Road in south Augusta.

County officials have said they are working on plans to cap the Baker Place Road site within the next year. Capping the landfill is part of the final closing operation for the site, which must be monitored for the next 30 years.

Advance Disposal General Manager Mark Odekirk said business has been steady since the landfill closed.

"From a disposal perspective (our business) hasn't changed significantly," he said. "Certainly, from a commercial and residential collection standpoint, we've seen a nice growth in business."

Advance Disposal accepts household trash and metals but not yard waste, paint, oils, car batteries and tires. Residents can also drive to the Deans Bridge Road landfill, which accepts old appliances, yard waste and other household trash, except hazardous materials.

Columbia County also has options for yard and construction waste. Tiffany Sample, of Sample and Son Inc. at 5944 Columbia Road in Grovetown, said her company accepts yard waste and construction debris.

She said the closure of the landfill hasn't had much of an affect on her family's business because it did not accept the same materials.

Residents who have questions about trash pickup and disposal or want lists of private trash haulers can visit the county's Web site, www.columbiacounty.gov. Residents can also call the information line by dialing 311, #311 for AT&T and Sprint customers, and (706) 868-3375 for Verizon Wireless customers.