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FAIRMONT-- Fairmont's Yard Waste Site officially opened for the season on Saturday, April 1. The site, located at 1880 100th St., allows for residents of Fairmont to dispose of personal yard waste.
Parks and Street Department Supervisor, Nick Lardy, explained that the site is really split in half.
"On the East side is the tree dump site. There you can bring in tree material, like branches and brush. On the West side is the compost area. There you can bring your leaves and vegetation matter," Lardy said.
As for what you can't bring, Lardy said no plastic bags should be left on the compost side, though compostable bags are OK. He said there's a garbage can out there that people can use to get rid of plastic bags.
On the tree side, no stumps can be brought to the tree side and no branches over 10 ft. long are allowed, either.
"They can't grind stumps because there's rocks embedded in the roots," Lardy explained.
A contractor grinds the material that's brought onto the tree side of the waste site and then disposes of it. Lardy said the contractor comes in several times a year to grind material.
"On the compost side, we mix it with some horse manure to set off the decomposition process. We do that a few times a year and screen it and the public can use it in their gardens. It makes a nice compost material," Lardy said.
The site is season and will remain open until Nov. 1.
"The gates are always open. It's meant for city of Fairmont residents only. If anyone outside of the city is using the facility, they can receive a citation for illegal dumping," Lardy said.
Lardy said several other communities have yard waste sites, though many aren't as large as Fairmont's. The site brings several benefits to the city.
"It provides a space for residents to take their material," Lardy said.
He said prior to the compost side opening, many people burned their leaves, which isn't encouraged. By opening the site it provides a designated and safe space for people to get rid of leaves and grass clippings.
"As for trees, people have a hard time getting rid of them. Many people don't burn wood anymore so this is a place for them to get rid of it," Lardy said.
While Lardy called the site a nice perk, he said it shouldn't be abused. The city has seen people dump unacceptable material like mattresses and other furniture out there.
"We have a city-wide clean-up several times a year for that stuff," Lardy pointed out.
More information on the site can be found on the city's website at fairmont.org.