$1.85 million for a Water and Waste Disposal grant through USDA Rural Development, which would be used to construct a cell for the solid waste landfill, construct a building, make repairs, and purchase equipment. IHS provided the remainder of the grant financing of $1.35 million, for a total of $3.2 million. Then, the OST SW program experienced a change in directors. In the interim, the EPA issued an Area of Concern (AOC) for deficiencies within the solid waste department. Finally, Director Leslie Mesteth came on board and immediately began improvements within the program. With MAP providing technical assistance since 2015, OST realized the following benefits: • Constructed a new landfill cell to meet the growing reservation needs; • Utilized Sourcewell cooperative purchasing for pre-bid pricing on large equipment; • Purchased a scraper and loader for the landfill to improve compaction and increase the useful life; • Added a scale to allow for the weighing of incoming trash and a measurable procedure for billing of services; • Developed an Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan; • Separated debris, allowing for the diversion of materials with further use, such as tires and construction and demolition (C&D) materials and extending the expected useful life of the landfill; • Completion of Solid Waste training by OST SW management and staff; • Completion of required training by MAP Field Manager Kerzman, who is certified as a Solid Waste Manager/Technical Assistance Provider; and • The last item to satisfy the AOC: completed the building at the landfill, which has water and wastewater facilities on-site and eliminated the need for the port- a-potty, a cost of more than $300 per month.
Director Mesteth believed so strongly in the benefit of receiving technical assistance that she came to Washington, D.C., in 2020 to support the Midwest Assistance Program and Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) in the annual pilgrimage of “RCAP on the Hill.” Partnering with USDA Rural Development for this system was the key to its success. Through technical assistance and funding, we helped those in the greatest need. It’s been a long process, but we still have more work to do. We greatly appreciate Director Mesteth’s ongoing support. The next steps include the following: site locations to prevent illegal dumping, scavenging, fire, and other illegal acts. A previous fire at a transfer site location led to a large grassland fire which, luckily, did not result in property damage. • Continuing community education on the safe disposal of items at the • Updating and improving the fencing around the transfer landfill. Using the new compactor provides increased compression and air removal from within the landfill, which prevents landfill fires and maximizes space but also can cause an improperly disposed propane tank to explode. • Implementing a recycling plan that fits the budget.
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