First Posted: 8/9/2013

The Solid Waste Box Sites around Richmond County will receive new operating hours after a study was conducted that showed a revision in schedule could save the county $55,000 a year.

At the Richmond County Board of Commissioners’ last meeting, Solid Waste Supervisor Jerry Austin presented the traffic study as well as a proposed change to the operating hours.

“This revision is based on the actual utilization rates of our sites,” said Austin. “If the hours are changed as proposed, it will save us approximately $55,000 per year … There are many times during the week when the sites are underutilized. We weren’t getting any traffic the first and last hour of each day. We started looking at studies over the last three years on an hour basis, and it showed the traffic volume was low.”

By concentrating the time when staff are on duty and the dump sites are open, traffic can be condensed to what Austin said he finds are the peak hours of operation.

“When you’ve got someone out there working and getting five cars during the first and last hour and 25 the rest of the hours, it doesn’t make sense to continue that path when you’re not getting the return,” said Austin.

No service will be interrupted with the change of hours and Austin said it will simply take some adjusting. Many sites are close together, and if one isn’t open, another one will be.

“A lot of sites like Hamlet and Airport are about 6 miles apart, so when one is closed, the other will be open in case someone really needs to go to a site,” said Austin. “Cordova and Diggs are also about 6 miles apart. Diggs will be closed Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, as well as the Mangum site. These are rural sites that do not get much volume at all.”

The annual cost to run these 10 facilities has previously cost $275,000 in man hours, according to Austin. That includes electrical, upkeep, preventative maintenance of equipment, cost involved with picking compactors up and delivering to the transfer station. The schedule now will save money.

“At the sites, we take household trash, electronics, scrap metal and white goods, waste oil and cooking oil — all recyclable. We don’t take batteries, hazardous waste such as liquids,” said Austin. “We’re still providing a service equal to or greater than the counties around us, even with reduced hours.”

Last year the dump sites in Richmond County sent off 37,000 tons to the landfills, and recycled 112 tons of electronics.

Richmond County Director of Public Works Bryan Land said, “It’s just another cost-cutting measure. We’ve been doing car count studies for several years. We recognize the savings we are going to get off this, while still providing the same services to taxpayers. Late in the evenings when it’s dark you hate to have the staff out there. It becomes a safety issue. (The new hours are) a win-win.”

New Hours of Operation, effective Sept. 16:

• Airport Road site, 125 Hatcher Road in Rockingham: Mondays, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday open 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday open 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. and Sunday open 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.

• Cordova site, 168 First Street: Monday – Saturday open 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., Sundays open 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.

• U.S. Highway 1 site in Rockingham: Mondays, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday open 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday open 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. and Sunday open 1:3 p.m. until 5 p.m.

• Jackson Road site, 171 Jackson Road: Monday – Saturday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., closed Thursday. Sunday open 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.

• Hamlet site, 800 E. Hamlet Ave.: Mondays, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday open 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday open 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. and Sunday open 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.

• Ellerbe site, 250 Bennett Road: Monday – Saturday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., closed Tuesday. Sunday open 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.

• Hoffman site, 2687 N. U.S. Highway 1: Monday – Saturday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., closed Wednesday. Sunday open 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.

• Plainview site, 121 Rummage Pack House Road: Monday – Saturday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., closed Wednesday. Sunday open 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.

• Diggs site, 1682 Old Cheraw Highway: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday open 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Closed Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

• Mangum site, 250 Pee Dee Church Road: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday open 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Closed Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

For more information call the Transfer Station 910-997-8338.