October 15th, 2020

Rapid City Solid Waste Division Customers:

As part of a continuing quality assurance effort, the Rapid City Solid Waste Division periodically tests the yard waste compost products to determine the quality of the compost offered for sale.  Recently, as part of that testing, the presence of three herbicides was detected.  The herbicides detected are: Clopyralid, Quinclorac, and MCPP. Since the discovery of these herbicides in our yard waste compost products, more extensive testing is being conducted.

What are these herbicides?

• Generally speaking, these herbicides target broadleaf plants, and are not harmful to turf grass.
• Clopyralid is considered a persistent herbicide or PH. Which means that it can be detected anywhere from several months to several years in soils or in compost that was made from vegetation previously treated with the herbicide.

How did these herbicides get into the compost?

• The Rapid City Solid Waste Division adds only water to the feedstock material from which the compost material is made. Our feedstock includes: tree branches, leaves, grass clippings, animal manures, untreated lumber products, and other organic material.
• These herbicides are used in our communities. Most likely one or more of our compost feedstock materials was treated with the herbicide, and at some point, delivered to the Solid Waste Facility for processing. Herbicides ARE NOT used as part of the yard waste composting process.

What will happen if I use compost products from the Solid Waste Division?

• At this point the recommendation is to not use the compost for any application where broad leaf plants (including ornamental plants) will be grown. This includes, but is not limited to, most common garden plants such as tomatoes, potatoes, legumes, lettuce, peppers, etc.

What is the Rapid City Solid Waste Division doing about this?

• More extensive testing is being conducted, including testing the different feed stocks separately in an effort to narrow down where these herbicides may be coming from. If a particular material is found to be the source of the herbicide, that waste stream will be managed separately to ensure that herbicide residues are kept out of the compost to the greatest extent possible.

What can I, the customer, do to help?

• Make sure you are not using any of the herbicides listed above on any yard waste material you bring to the Solid Waste Facility.
• If you do bring in material that may have herbicide residue, please let the Solid Waste Division staff know, so appropriate measures can be taken to segregate the material.

When using any herbicide, please follow all instructions and warnings provided by the manufacturer.

Solid Waste Division Procedures

We understand that the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting our customers to varying degrees. We encourage you to pay what you are able to pay towards your bill, but you will not be disconnected if you are unable to make your payment. Please be aware that you will still be billed for the services you are receiving, and may also accrue late fees. You will need to make arrangements to bring the account current when we resume normal operations after this crisis has passed. For questions regarding billing contact Utility Billing 394-4125. 

* COLLECTIONS SERVICE PROCEDURES:

• Residential garbage and recycling will be collected on the regular schedule. Drivers are NOT ALLOWED to exit their vehicles on their routes except for emergencies. All garbage and recycling MUST be inside the city-issued containers or it WILL NOT be collected. Please bag and tie all garbage in the garbage container to prevent littering. Recyclables are to be loose in the recycling container.
  • Extra bags next to containers WILL NOT be collected.
  • A residential customer may use a City utility bill showing garbage services and issued within the last 12 months for one free disposal of up to 1000 pounds per transaction at the City Landfill.  Use of multiple City utility bills for loads greater than 1000 pounds will not be allowed. 

REMINDER: Please bag and tie all garbage to prevent littering

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* LANDFILL SERVICE PROCEDURES:

• The landfill is available to the public Monday through Saturday. 7:00 am – 4:45 pm.
  • A residential customer may use a City utility bill showing garbage services and issued within the last 12 months for one free disposal of up to 1000 pounds per transaction at the City Landfill.  Use of multiple City utility bills for loads greater than 1000 pounds will not be allowed. 
• Children MUST remain in vehicles at all times when on landfill property

REMINDER: City-Wide Clean-up has been postponed until further notice