This community service discount drops the gate fee to $25 per ton, according to Edward Caylor, Santek president.
Santek operates the landfill under contract with Bradley County government.
Additionally, Santek is temporarily reducing the fee for accepting construction and demolition waste from $22 to $20 per ton.
Also, affected individual residents are being allowed to take (tree) wood and brush debris to a staging area at the Tri-State Exhibition Center free of charge where it is being burned by the Bradley County Road Department, according to Mayor D. Gary Davis.
This tree and brush debris service will be extended through Friday. Hours of operation at Tri-State will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Davis stressed the service is limited to individual residents, not to contracted companies. He also pointed out in areas outside the Cleveland city limits, residents are allowed to burn their tree and brush debris if they have a safe spot. During the storm recovery period, burning permits will not be required, he said.
“By offering this service at Tri-State, we’re just trying to benefit our residents who have been impacted by the tornadoes,” Davis said. “We ask only that individuals use this service, not companies that have been contracted for hauling away tree and brush debris.”
Those individuals hauling storm-caused brush debris are reminded to enter the Tri-State Exhibition Center through the last gate closest to the landfill.
Caylor said Santek is reducing its fees in May as a mutual agreement with county government.
“In partnership with Bradley County, who owns the landfill, we’ve agreed to reduce disposal rates due to the severity of the storm’s widespread destruction,” Caylor said.
Cheryl Dunson, Santek vice president of marketing, said Monday the “mixed waste loads” represent a collection of house-related debris (but not tree wood and brush) that is often mass dumped into trucks for transport to landfills following storm-related disasters.
“We’ve worked with Mayor (Gary) Davis, who has agreed that lowering our gate rate is the right thing to do for the next month,” Dunson said. “We wanted to find a way to give back and to help our residents in a way that is immediate without any waiting for those whose lives have been dramatically touched by last week’s storms.”
Dunson said the landfill’s gate rates have been consistent for the last several months and have not seen any recent increases.
Caylor stressed Santek will work closely with Bradley County leaders through the area’s storm recovery and especially during the next few weeks when devastated neighborhoods are being cleared.
“We’ll continue to work with Bradley County officials to ensure residents are treated fairly and expeditiously at the landfill,” Caylor said. “Cleveland/Bradley County is our corporate headquarters and we intend to be good corporate stewards during the community’s time of need.”
The Bradley County Landfill’s hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Questions about the landfill’s operations, about items that it can and cannot accept, and any clarification or direction on differentiating between “mixed waste loads” and other types of debris may be directed to the landfill at 476-8118.
