CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – 2011 was a big year for the Green Initiative in Clarksville-Montgomery County and the move toward renewable and sustainable community could not have been possible without Bi-County Solid Waste Management.

Bi-County Solid Waste Management provides landfill services for Montgomery and Stewart Counties. The vast majority of all waste generated from businesses and households in both communities are received at the landfill. This service is a necessity for every community, but that’s not the end of the story for Bi-County. Here are some facts you may not know.

• Bi-County is one of few government run landfills in the United States that does not use tax dollars.
• Bi-County is financially self-sustaining and is continuously seeking opportunities to increase revenues to avoid adding fees to the citizens and independent waste companies of Montgomery and Stewart Counties.
• Bi-County takes in more recycling per person through voluntary efforts at the main landfill and the 18 convenience centers throughout Montgomery and Stewart Counties than larger communities with mandatory curbside recycling programs.
• Bi-County reinvests in education by working with Clarksville-Montgomery County and Stewart County School Systems through student recycle programs. North Stewart Elementary recently reduced its waste from four large dumpsters to two dumpsters due to its recycling efforts.

Beyond that, the Bi-County Board and the employees of Bi-County work relentlessly to keep Bi-County a self-supporting entity within county government that seeks opportunities to turn a profit and work efficiently.

In 2011 Bi-County Solid Waste Management became the first landfill in the United States to use a newly designed state-of-the-art engine to convert methane gas to energy. This progressive move not only keeps the methane gas from polluting our ozone but it is sold to TVA for a profit. The energy generated is enough to supply energy to more than 1,000 residents in the community.

Bi-County worked to make sure recycling containers and pick up services are available in all City and County departments by the end of 2011 and will be working to expand the types of materials recycled in all municipal buildings.

In August of 2011, the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) chose Nashville as its conference location partly because of the leadership and involvement of the Tennessee SWANA Chapter under the direction of Mary Anderson, Bi-County’s Assistant Director of Administration & Education. Bi-County was instrumental in the success of the conference. People who work in the waste industry from all over the world came to Montgomery County from the Nashville conference to visit the internationally recognized operations of the Bi-County Landfill.

In 2011, Bi-County began construction of a lagoon system for leachate, a liquid produced from the decomposition of waste within the landfill. As the lagoon system came on line leachate was treated onsite resulting in less of the liquid being transported for treatment. Cleaning leachate on site saves tens of thousands of dollars each month. Bi-County expects the lagoon to be 100% self-sufficient in 2012. The clean water will be used to irrigate the land at the site.

In addition Bi-County expanded its educational component in 2011 to increase the number of recycle teams in more schools, took advantage of educating students and others in the communities they serve at events like Rivers & Spires, Green Day, Riverfest, America Recycles Day, and Career Day for all eighth grade students in Clarksville-Montgomery County under the direction of Mary Anderson. Bi-County also supports the Clarksville-Montgomery County Green Certification Program, an initiative that began in Leadership Clarksville, led by a Steering Committee of local industries and businesses and managed by Michelle Newell. Among other things, the program educates businesses and other organizations about the benefits of recycling in the community. “By educating students in the schools and employees who work in businesses we have found that they carry the practice of recycling to their homes and other places in the community which makes the emphasis on education well worth it,” commented Pete Reed,

Executive Director of Bi-County Solid Waste Management.

Bi-County looks forward to achieving new goals in 2012, goals that will bring greater opportunities, improve services and keep costs down.

Visit www.mcgtn.org/bi-county for more information about Bi-County Solid Waste Management.




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