On Wednesday, March 10, at 10 a.m., the Pitkin County Solid Waste Center will host a grand-opening ceremony for the new Landfill Operations and Maintenance facility. The ceremony will take place at the Solid Waste Center, located at 980 Jack Gredig Lane, Aspen, Colo.
The 18,000-square-foot building was designed to meet or exceed rigorous energy efficiency standards. The state-of-the-art facility has an equipment wash area which utilizes a water reuse system. The design also incorporates extensive natural light and energy-efficient lighting throughout. The facility’s roof was constructed to accommodate solar panels, which will be installed in 2022.
“The landfill is home to a multitude of heavy equipment; the compactor alone weighs 95,000 pounds. It is difficult to simply load it up on a truck and haul it to the county’s fleet facility for service,” said Cathy Hall, Pitkin County Solid Waste Director. “Mechanics have had to service the big equipment in the field, in all sorts of weather conditions; employee safety was a prime driver in getting the Operations and Maintenance facility built.”
The facility will also serve as an overflow maintenance shop for other county vehicles and equipment, and the site’s new fuel farm provides additional county fuel capacity in the event of an emergency.
“This was the next step in modernizing operations at the Solid Waste Center,” said Brian Pettet, Public Works Director. “It provides additional capacity to expand waste diversion programs, including the popular use-it-again area.”
In addition to the maintenance facility, the building houses an equipment storage bay, a crew meeting room, and office space for operations and maintenance personnel. Shaw Construction completed construction in late February, two months ahead of schedule.
Contact: Brian Pettet, director of Public Works, 970-920-5392 or brian.pettet@pitkincounty.com