The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

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    landfill
August 20, 2009

Landfill to require tarps

Loads must be covered on free day

By Courtney D. Clark

The operators of the Raleigh County Solid Waste Authority are implementing mandatory tarping under the state’s unsecured load law, SWA marketing and education director Sherrie Hunter said Wednesday.

As required by state law, the Raleigh County landfill hosts a free day on the last Thursday of every month, giving residents the opportunity to dispose of their household garbage at zero cost.

“We have been lenient with our citizens,” Hunter said, “but after every free day there is a plethora of garbage and wind-blown debris all over Ragland Road.

“West Virginia does not have a tarp law, but does have an unsecured load law,” Hunter explained.

She said for past few months, the SWA has been clarifying with all those who use free day that their household garbage must be tarped, netted or held down by a large piece of cardboard. That will alleviate the garbage from being blown off the vehicle.

“If you have an unsecured load and something falls off your truck, it’s probable that you will be stopped by police for violating the unsecured load law,” Hunter said.

If trash blows off the vehicle, the driver also risks being charged with littering.

Hunter pointed to a large truck coming into the landfill with a tarp securing its garbage.

“Now he will go to the untarping area of the landfill. The customer brought his refuse in, yet it is secured in that roll-off bin. He is going to go to the landfill and dump the garbage in the environmentally correct fashion. This is the appropriate method.”

Landfill employees said they see between 900 and 1,000 vehicles on free day.

“We have been letting the general public know for the last three months that everything should be tarped, so we have been seeing a higher rate of pick-up trucks on free day,” Hunter added. “All of our customers take advantage of free day. That’s their privilege. We just want to remind people to secure their load.”

The landfill is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

— E-mail: cclark@register-herald.com

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