Supervisors Consider Trash Transfer Station, More Recycling

By James Burger, The Bakersfield Californian

Dec. 18–Kern County supervisors like the idea of building a trash transfer station in Bakersfield which could collect refuse and transfer it to bulk trucks for the drive to Bena Landfill.

Fewer truck trips means less air pollution.

But they voted Tuesday to talk more about pulling recyclable material out of the trash before it’s driven to the landfill.

“Can we have a larger plan that might consider some of the recycling opportunities we have,” said Supervisor Ray Watson.

Kern County Waste Management Department Director Daphne Harley said the hope is recycling will be a big part of discussion in the future.

“We are going to be hiring a consultant to look at that piece,” Harley said. “The best I can offer you is we are going to be moving forward on parallel track.”

Larry Moxley with the Kern Refuse Haulers said that it makes sense to build in recycling to the facility.

“Putting an independent transfer station up by itself is the least cost-effective thing you can do,” he said.

Supervisors agreed.

“I’m having difficulty going forward without that bigger picture,” said Supervisor Jon McQuiston. “If you’re going to have all this trash coming it seems like such a waste not to grab it and do something with it in terms of recycling.”

Supervisor Michael Rubio made a motion to require Harley, the haulers and the city of Bakersfield to come back in January with a plan for how to build both a transfer station and a facility to pull recyclables out of the trash stream.

And the three other three supervisors, Supervisor Mike Maggard was absent, supported the motion.

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