Big Changes Announced To Upcoming Countywide Cleanup: Proof Of County Residency Required, More

Photo of dumpsters at Kyrock on April 15, 2017 at last year's event.

Must Be A Scott Waste Customer, Dumpsters To Be Placed At Only One Location

​Darren Doyle, story and photo:
The annual Countywide Cleanup event has been scheduled for April 2nd through the 7th this year, but big changes have been made to the program that has been littered with all sorts of trouble for county officials, fire department personnel, and those trying to utilize the service over the years.

For the past several years, Scott Waste has provided dumpsters at each Edmonson County fire department during the event, which allows county residents to dump their trash and unwanted items not normally placed in their regular trash cans. Most all items are allowed, including large items and furniture; however, dumping tires, paint, and other chemicals have always been prohibited.

Last year, county officials said the program was grossly abused as each fire department was left with a huge mess after program users failed to follow the rules of the event that specifically stated no dumping on the ground and dumpsters cannot be filled over level-full. Several fire departments spoke out against the program and some even wanted the program scrapped altogether.

Many users of the program were unhappy because a large number said that the dumpsters stayed too full for most residents to use. Some said they cleaned up at their homes to haul a truck or trailer-full of junk to the dumpster only to find that there was no place available to dump the trash; yet they dumped it anyway because they had no other place to leave it.

Scott Waste provides the dumpsters at no additional cost to the county or residents; however, all Edmonson County Scott Waste customers pay for the service anyway. While there is no separate charge on the bill, it's all lumped together.

This year, the county has made big changes to the program in order to keep fire department volunteers from dealing with the huge mess and to ensure that Edmonson County residents who pay for monthly Scott Waste services are the only ones benefiting from the program.

Edmonson County Solid Waste Coordinator Mike Clubb said he and Judge Executive Wil Cannon have worked in conjunction with local fire departments and Scott Waste to make changes to the program.

No more dumpsters will be placed at fire departments. There will be one location only during this year's event, which is the rock quarry location at Kyrock, near the Kyrock firehouse. Hours for the program will be Monday through Friday, (4/2-4/6) 7:30am - 5pm, and on Saturday (4/7) 7:30am - 3pm. Access to the dumpsters will be secured by a locked gate after hours, with no exceptions.

In addition, anyone wishing to dump trash must first show proof of residency of Edmonson County, most easily done with a valid driver's license or other photo ID with an Edmonson County address. Users must also provide a recent Scott Waste bill or other proof from Scott showing that the user is a current customer.

"We know that some people aren't going to like this year's regulations and restrictions, but this program was always intended to serve Edmonson County residents only who are Scott Waste customers," said Mike Clubb. "We can't ask Scott Waste to do more than their part of the agreement, and our fire departments aren't responsible for this cleanup. In order to prevent illegal dumping and other problems, these are the changes necessary to keep this program here."

Clubb also said video surveillance will be utilized in order to monitor proper use of the dump site. He also said no one is allowed to enter the dumpsters.

Large items like furniture and mattresses are still allowed, but they must be placed inside the dumpster and cannot exceed the level-full line. No dumping on the ground will be allowed, with no exceptions, and tires, paints, and other chemicals are still prohibited.