Rapid City’s Landfill

 

The Rapid City Landfill is located at 5555 South Highway 79 about one half mile south of the intersection of Catron Boulevard and Highway 79.  It is a Subtitle D facility permitted for operation by the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources.  It is open Monday through Saturday from 7:00 am to 4:45 pm.

 

The landfill is located on 450 acres and has operated at this location since 1960.  On an average day the landfill receives 300 to 350 tons of non-hazardous solid waste.  In addition to household waste, the landfill receives construction and demolition debris, non-hazardous special wastes, and non-infectious medical waste for disposal.

 

      

 

 

Petroleum Contaminated Soil

 

The landfill accepts petroleum contaminated soil after appropriate testing and approval.  The petroleum contaminated soils are landfarmed to volatilize and encourage microbial degredation of petroleum contaminants.  Soil samples are taken at the end of treatment to confirm degradation.  Once the soils have reached 100 ppm total petroleum hydrocarbons, the soil is used for daily and intermediate cover in the active fill area. 

 

Large Scale Recycling – Yard Waste and Asphalt

 

The Rapid City Landfill prides itself on large scale, non-traditional recycling.  It receives about 20,000 tons of milled and chunky asphalt and about 15,000 tons of yard waste per year.  The asphalt is ground and then used on site for roads and compost pads, or sold to the public.  The yard waste is ground , composted and screened to become a rich organic soil amendment.  Both finished products are available for sale to the public.  See the rate section for prices.  Call 605-394-4197 or email John Leahy, Landfill Supervisor at john.leahy@rcgov.org to check on availability of products if your project requires more than five dump truck loads.

 

Sludges and Sump Wastes

 

The Rapid City Landfill classifies sludge and sump wastes as special waste.  These wastes must be tested for hazardous characteristics before receipt. The Rapid City Landfill is a Subtitle D landfill.  It is permitted to receive non-hazardous solid waste.  Chapter 74:27:13:18 of the Administrative Rules of South Dakota specifically addresses testing for hazardous waste.  It says, "A person who generates a commercial or industrial solid waste must determine if that waste is a hazardous waste by the method specified in 74:28:22:01."  This sludge is a commercial waste and therefore requires testing to prove it is non-hazardous prior to disposal at the Rapid City Landfill. 

 

Chapter 74:28:22:01 references the federal regulations which define the identification and listing of hazardous wastes.  In a nutshell, it says check for characteristics of the waste to determine if it is hazardous.  Specifically:

 

1.  Is it toxic?  We determine this by having you test for eight metals that are considered to be toxic if they exceed the limits listed in the federal hazardous waste regulations.  Shops that handle waste oils, brake repairs, bearing replacement, radiator repairs and numerous other repairs will commonly have some level of these metals in their sludges.

2.  Is it flammable?  This is determined by having a flash point test performed on the sludge by a lab.

3.  Is it corrosive?  This is determined by having a lab check the pH.

4.  Is it reactive?  Will the sample react violently with water or air?  Generally, sludges from shops would already have reacted at the generators facility if this were the case.

5.  Under the solid waste regulations the landfill cannot receive bulk liquids and therefore, the landfill requires any sludge to pass a paint filter test to show it is not a liquid.   

 

In most cases, unless some process in your shop has changed since your last test, you really only need to do these tests once every couple years to keep your waste stream characterized and the landfill special waste files up to date.  It is also in your best interest.  If the Rapid City Landfill has an environmental problem at some point in the future, all waste generators become suspect and potentially liable for cleanup.  Test results in the files can rule out those who are not guilty.  With hazardous waste and most waste generation, the generator is liable for the waste from cradle to grave. Superfund sites have demonstrated this over and over.  They seek out every potentially responsible party when it comes to paying for cleanup.

 

Special waste disposal requests from outside our service area must have the approval of the Public Works Director.

 

A copy of the landfill’s sump and sludge testing guidance document can be obtained by clicking on guidelines for sludge and sump waste disposal at the Rapid City Landfill.

 

Industrial and Commercial Customers

 

Please review the rates section of the web page.  It provides you with the tipping fees for various different wastes.   We accept clean, unwaxed cardboard at no charge.  We accept clean mixed recyclables, miscellaneous scrap metal, trees and yard waste at no charge.  Any of these items mixed with garbage are charged $53.00 per ton, plus tax.

Save your business money, audit your waste stream and begin source separation.  Throw away only what you have to!

 

If you are interested in recycling at your business and want some help brainstorming good solutions to make it work, call Jerry Wright at 605-355-3496 or email at jerry.wright@rcgov.org  for assistance.

 

Rates

 

The Rapid City Landfill is operated as an enterprise.  There are no tax dollars supporting any part of the Solid Waste Operations, including the MRF and collection.  You receive these services for a fee much like your water, sewer, gas, telephone, etc.  It is organized as a utility.  The tipping fees charged at the gate support the Landfill, MRF and yardwaste composting operations.

 

For a listing of the landfill tipping fees click on rates.   

 

Landfill Credit Account

 

If you are interested in establishing an account at the Rapid City Landfill you can obtain a copy of the credit application right here.  Click on credit application.    This will bring up a PDF document.  Print, complete, and return this form to the Landfill scale or the address listed at the bottom of the form.  The Landfill will contact you after your credit references are contacted.