Free yard waste disposal for southeast county residents

The Spokane Regional Solid Waste System will collect yard waste at no cost Saturday from residents of five southeast Spokane County communities where burning is no longer allowed.

Recycling coordinator Suzanne Tresko said the event is limited to residents of Fairfield, Latah, Rockford, Waverly and Spangle.

“This is a short-term fix for those municipalities that have just come under the state regulations that don’t allow them to burn their yard waste,” Tresko said.

The five southern Spokane County towns are “urban growth areas,” subject to a state burning ban that took effect Jan. 1. Unlike other communities in the county, they have no curbside yard-waste service and are relatively far from solid waste transfer stations.

Eventually, Tresko said, officials hope to come up with a more permanent solution such as another transfer station or perhaps a composting operation in the southeastern part of the county.

Saturday’s event will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at a gravel pit north of Waverly, at the intersection of Spangle-Waverly and Prairie View roads.

Only normal yard and garden vegetation such as tree and bush prunings, pine needles and leaves will be accepted. Trash, branches more than five inches in diameter, stumps, root balls, rocks, soil, lumber and animal waste will not be accepted, Tresko said.

In addition to accepting yard waste, officials will provide information about the burning ban and alternatives to burning.

Sponsors of the event include the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System, Spokane County, the state Department of Ecology, the Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority and the towns of Fairfield, Latah, Rockford, Spangle and Waverly.

For more information, call the Recycling Hotline at 625-6800 or visit the solid waste system’s Web site at www.solidwaste.org.