CAPE BEGINS COMPOST; WILL MAKE SPECIAL PICKUPS ON REQUEST

Cape Girardeau this year will satisfy a new landfill mandate that prohibits yard waste such as grass clippings and leaves in landfills by launching a citywide compost service.

A Missouri solid-waste law enacted in 1990 requires that all materials going to landfills be reduced by 40 percent by 1998.

Last year, appliances and other "white goods" were banned. Cape Girardeau Environmental Services Coordinator Doug Kaminskey said the yard-waste ban this year prompted city officials to devise a composting operation.

Kaminskey said the plan includes continued collection of residents' leaves during the year and special collections of grass clippings and other yard waste.

"The leaf program will continue as it has for the last several years," he said. "We'll come by various times during the year and pick the leaves up at no charge just like we've done in the past."

Kaminskey said a local farmer has agreed to take all the leaves collected this year by the city for his own composting operation. But, he added, the city won't be able to plan for such a market in the future.

"What we're going to do is have a site at the landfill where leaves will be wind-rowed and aerated for composting," he said.

Kaminskey said that during the spring and summer months, residents also will be able to have their leaves, grass clippings and other waste collected by city crews through a special compost program.

"We'll make available bags with a city sticker on them," he said. "They'll be sold at local grocery stores and at city hall and public works in lots of five at $1.25 a bag."

Kaminskey said residents can use the 30-gallon, sturdy paper bags to collect their yard waste. Residents then will have to call the city to have street crews collect the bags.

"People will have to call and schedule to have those picked up on Wednesday along with other Wednesday special pickups," he said. "There won't be an additional charge for the pickup, just the cost of the bags."

Kaminskey said the city chose the paper bags because their biodegradability is comparable to that of leaves and grass. "Many cities are using them now," he added. "They're durable, and even hold up during the rain."

Limbs and large branches won't be allowed in the bags, but Kaminskey said small twigs are acceptable. He said limbs should be secured in four-foot bundles of 75 pounds or less.

"We'll have a special pickup for larger limbs, too," he said. "We'll charge $5 to pick them up for up to five bundles. If there's more than five bundles, the charge will be $10."

The charges for the special collections will be added to the particular residents' monthly trash fee.

The city also will provide containers at the public works building on Kingshighway for people who can't afford the bags, Kaminskey said. The containers will be available during regular business hours Monday through Friday.

"We only ask that they put it in some type of paper bag, or strip the bags themselves," he said.

The city also will continue to collect a "seasonal" yard waste, Christmas trees, although they also are now banned in landfills.

Kaminskey said people who want the city to collect their Christmas tree should schedule a pickup for Wednesday, Jan. 15 or 22. There is no charge for the service.

"They need to call prior to those days to have their tree picked up," he said. "From there we'll take them to Arena Park where they'll either be mulched or given away to individuals for ditch erosion or for their ponds.

Kaminskey said the Department of Conservation also will take some of the trees. The "recycled" trees are clustered and anchored in area ponds and lakes for fish habitat, he said.

"The rest of the trees we'll mulch and make available free to the public for their gardens or landscaping," Kaminskey said.

The mulch from the composted leaves and grass clippings also will be given to those who want the material, he said.

Kaminskey said the compost operation adds labor and equipment costs to the city's regular trash and recycling service.

"We're not going to have to hire anyone at present, but it will increase labor costs," he said. "There will be a special trip just for yard waste, which means more labor.

"There also will be more equipment costs associated with turning and composting at the landfill. It will require more time and effort, and we'll eventually have to buy more equipment, and composting equipment isn't cheap."

Public works also will no longer be able to burn limbs and debris collected on city streets after storms. Large limbs will be cut into firewood and smaller branches will be "chipped" in a special tub grinder," Kaminskey said.

The firewood and wood chips also will be available free to the public at Shawnee Park along West End Boulevard. Residents need only haul the wood away.

"We're also planning on setting up a pilot program for pallets that will be stacked there for people to use as kindling," Kaminskey said.

He said the city hopes the $1.25 cost of the yard waste bags will fund the compost operation. But even without a fee increase, he said there likely will be some residents who will be displeased with the city's compost operation.

"Whatever we do, there's going to be some people that won't like it," he said. "But we'll know a lot more after we've got a few months under our belt to see how the public responds."