News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Beth Gorman (520) 740-3343
Tucson, Arizona (March 30, 2007) – The Sahuarita
Municipal Solid Waste Landfill will begin accepting commercial
waste again on Wednesday, April 4, 2007. Only residential solid
waste has been accepted during the landfill expansion process.
The first phase of a new 20-acre cell has been added along with
special liners, a leachate collection system, a stormwater collection
and conveyance system to control runoff, and other support facilities.
In addition, a 20-foot screen buffer was established from native
vegetation transplanted from disturbed areas within the site,
and the landfill entrance was relocated. Sahuarita Landfill hours
are 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. seven days a week.
“We are very pleased to have this project completed in
a way that will better protect the environment and serve the
businesses and residents in the Sahuarita area,” said Ursula
Kramer, Director of Pima County Department of Environmental Quality.
To improve safety and ease of public access, the recycling station
has been relocated to the entrance of the landfill and residents
will no longer need to climb stairs to access the recycling bins.
The anti-freeze, batteries, oil, and paint (ABOP) station is
adjacent to the recycling area and now has a concrete pad, spill
catchment, and an awning.
Initially, only refuse packers will be using the new cell to
allow the build up of a layer of soft trash to prevent damage
to the protective liner. Everyone else will use the old cell
until the new one is ready to accept all types of waste. The
old cell will be built out towards the east, as allowed under
the existing permit, for approximately one year, depending on
the volume of waste deposited.
“If we each make an effort to reduce the amount of waste
we create on an individual basis, we will extend the lives of
our landfills farther into the future,” Ms. Kramer said.
This landfill is owned by Pima County and operated by the Pima
County Department of Environmental Quality, Solid Waste Management
Division. The landfill is located within the Town of Sahuarita,
approximately 19 miles south of the City of Tucson, just west
of Interstate 19, and south of Helmet Peak Road.
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