Spokane County staff propose seven‑day household hazardous‑waste service and reuse table at transfer stations

County solid‑waste staff on Tuesday asked Spokane County commissioners to back a plan to expand household hazardous waste (HHW) services at the county’s two transfer stations, move staffing in‑house and pilot a chemical “reuse table” modeled on neighboring jurisdictions.

The presentation said cameras and staff observation show unsafe HHW disposal on tipping floors about five to 10 times per day — incidents such as leaking containers, hidden chemicals beneath furniture and an operator running over a flare that briefly closed a facility. Staff said such dumping creates safety risks for employees and customers, can damage facilities and may violate the county’s solid‑waste handling permit and existing transport/disposal contracts.

Staff described the current contractor model (GreyMar Environmental) that provides two staff on weekends and handles segregation, packaging and off‑site disposal. Expanding the contractor to seven days would be costly; staff presented an alternative in which county employees perform HHW intake with limited additional hiring and the contractor retained for transport/disposal. That model, staff said, would save more than $100,000 in labor compared with the seven‑day contractor option and, after higher transport/disposal volume is accounted for, could be cost neutral or a net savings.

In addition to seven‑day intake to reduce weekday turnaways and improper disposal, staff proposed a public‑education push and a “reuse table” where unopened or usable products (cleaners, unopened paints and similar items) could be diverted back to the community or to nonprofit partners. Staff said risk‑management review is underway to establish safe reuse protocols and that reuse could further reduce transport/disposal costs.

Commissioners questioned the cost and whether rates would have to change; staff said the county would keep the contractor for transport/disposal, absorb the intake staffing, and expect transport costs to rise but remain offset by labor savings and reduced off‑site packaging. Staff suggested a summertime pilot for the reuse table and broader outreach once seven‑day operations are in place.

The board expressed general support and asked staff for more detailed cost and logistics information before formal action. The item will proceed to follow‑up briefings and potential inclusion on a future consent or special agenda for formal approval.