Rossland Spring Clean-up will take place on Monday, May 8 and residents will have the chance to place any leaves and grass clippings on the boulevard and see them whisked away by city employees — to the McKelvey Creek Regional Landfill.
Though the materials end up at the landfill, they are composted there and serve an important function.
McKelvey landfill regularly accepts yard and garden waste, as well as clean wood waste, which is then composted and used within the landfill for slope stabilization and as cover for methane control.
“The microbes in compost — obviously compost is a living material — and the microbes in it eat methane,” explains Tim Dueck, solid waste management coordinator for the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB). “Methane that escapes from the landfill beneath it has to pass through this compost and much of it is absorbed by the compost and so it’s a good greenhouse gas reduction material.”
Dueck explains that the compost material generated at McKelvey landfill is not available for repurchase, but Dueck says that could be a possibility if the Rossland and Trail area ever gets a green bin organic waste diversion program.
“Once that is established, we would be composting materials that could probably be sold and could be used off site, but right now the best use for our material at McKelvey Creek is to use it on site for slope stabilization and methane control,” says Dueck.
But for that to happen, the RDKB would need a separate site that isn’t in the middle of town.
“It’s not an ideal site for a full-scale composting facility,” explains Dueck.
The Grand Forks area already has a green bin program, which the RDKB announced last Thursday will be expanding to West Boundary residents as of July 1. This will bring curbside green bin collection to Sidley Mountain, Bridesville, Rock Creek, Midway, Anaconda and Beaverdell.