County announces new info on Green Box sites

Details on the availability of Green Box sites in Lincoln County were announced Wednesday at the county commissioners meeting.

County officials approved a deal to haul trash for the next two years at the Nov. 13 commissioners meeting.

The agreement with Evergreen Disposal follows several conversations about the drastically higher costs the company was seeking for a new 5-year deal.

The county has begun planning to buy its own garbage trucks and taking care of the hauling.

The new hours of operation begin Monday, Nov. 25 and the schedule, provided by county Health Department Director Kathi Hooper, follows:

- Libby Creek will be open Thursday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day-

- Troy ballpark, Hecla and Yaak Hill will be open Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to  6 p.m.

- Glen Lake, Fisher River, Trego and Fortine will be open Wednesday as well as Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Green Box sites in the Upper Yaak and West Kootenai will continue to be open 24 hours a day Monday through Sunday.

The Rexford site will be closed.

District 1 Commissioner Brent Teske pointed out concessions were made to keep most of the Green Box sites open.

“The public needs to know that if we hadn’t made the concessions, the Green Box sites would have been eliminated,” he said.

Evergreen did agree to a two-year deal to take care of garbage pickup until the county is ready to take over.

For Fiscal Year 2024-25, the cost is $400,000 and for FY 2025-26, it is $420,000.

County Health Department Director Kathi Hooper said the county’s Solid Waste and Recycling has $292,725 budgeted for the contract in 2024-25. The commissioners approved an additional $70,000 from PILT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) and eliminated the remote site attendant in Troy, which will save $45,000.

There are no changes at the landfills in Libby, Troy and Eureka. They are open Monday through Saturday.

Hooper also said the county ordered a new roll-off container truck that would arrive at the end of 2026.

District 3 Commissioner Josh Letcher pointed out that the $150 refuse assessment that was approved a year ago pays for landfill operations, not garbage pickup.

At the Nov. 6 meeting, Hooper said 12 single can sites, which are not owned by the county, will be eliminated. They include schools in Troy, Trego and Fortine (no other schools were included on the previous contract), the Troy city shop and the River Walk Park in Eureka.

Landfills in Libby and Eureka are open six days a week and closed on Sunday. The Troy landfill is open five days per week while being closed Sunday and Monday. All are closed on holidays.

The Libby landfill is located at 2501 Pipe Creek Road and its phone number is 293-7146. The Troy landfill is at 273 Dump Road and can be reached at 283-1713. In Eureka, the landfill is at 653 Airport Road and may be reached at 889-5117.

All three landfills accept yard waste, general home waste, used appliances, scrap metal, wood products, concrete and batteries (auto or lead acid). Libby and Eureka accept motor oil and anti freeze, but Troy and Happy’s Inn do not those items.

For asbestos materials, call the Lincoln County Asbestos Resource Program at 291-5335.

For other questions, contact the county Health Department at 283-2442. Information may also be found at lincolncountymt.us/health-department-home/landfill/.

Evergreen Disposal handles trash hauling in the county. In Libby and Troy, the number is 293-3711 and in Eureka, it’s 297-2777.