LAKE COUNTY - Lake County Commissioners will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 28 in the Swan Lake Community Center, 22778 State Highway 83, to discuss the possible closure of the Porcupine Creek Solid Waste Site.
Lake County Commissioner Bill Barron said Solid Waste Board members recommended closing the site due to the area experiencing a large amount of illegal dumping, gate damage and vandalism from contractor use.
During the Lake County Solid Waste Management Board meeting Aug. 12, board members said the site receives construction waste daily while only receiving 8-10 bags of household garbage. They also described the concrete structure as “shot” and the wall as “falling apart.” Batteries for the bear lids have to be changed several times a week. They voted unanimously to close the site by Nov. 1, but Commissioners felt it was important to hold a public hearing to hear thoughts and suggestions.
During the in-person meeting, Oct. 28, the Commissioners will discuss the reasons behind the closure and will take comments and ideas from the public on how to deal with the issues. Members of the public will not be able to attend the meeting virtually. For those that still want to comment but cannot attend the meeting, comments can be emailed to lakecommissioner@lakemt.gov with Porcupine Creek in the subject line.
If the site is closed, residents would have to use the site on Highway 83*, just a couple miles south of Highway 209, 13 miles away from the Porcupine Creek Site. The closure could take place as early as January.
Barron said all county residents pay an annual solid waste fee that is applied whether remote sites are available or not in order to keep the service running. If the Porcupine site were to close, there would be no refund.
After the meeting, the Commissioners will collect the information and public input and will develop a plan moving forward. They will then present it in a zoom meeting allowing for public comment by the end of November before making their final decision.
* Editor's Note: This story was updated to reflect that the Ferndale Transfer Station is located on Highway 83.
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