Self-maintaining landfill within reach

The Shafter/Wasco Landfill took one more step to being a completely self-maintaining facility when it announced the completion of a system that will bag compost for local residents.

The landfill has made compost available for Kern County residents for a little over a year, allowing them to pick it up for their gardens, compost piles and many other uses.

"More and more people are getting involved in operating their own compost piles, letting them fertilize their own gardens," says Lynnda Martin, of American Refuse in Wasco. "We have had several events in which residents have taken tons of the compost material at each event."

One of the downsides of this practice is the inability for some residents to transport the compost material to their homes.

"Before, if people didn't have a pickup truck, they had a problem being able to get it home. Now, we'll have pallets of this available. People will be able to come to the corporation yard in the very short future and pick this product up," said Shafter Assistant Public Works Director Kevin Gibson.

Gibson said that this new development is an example of the county helping residents comply with new laws intended to reduce emissions in the air.