This summer, several elementary school classes from Landmark, New Bothwell, Mitchell and Steinbach have been having fun touring the Steinbach Landfill.
Solid Waste Department Head Eldon Wallman said it takes him about 30 minutes to take the students, teachers, and parent helpers through the landfill processes. The tour covers Steinbachs oil recovery program, white goods and refrigeration recovery, compost procedures, metal recycling, residential garbage compaction and wood chipping. Wallman also explains the environmental regulations that govern the landfill site, including the 11 monitoring wells that surround Steinbachs Landfill site for quarterly groundwater quality testing.
Wallman said the tour must be impressive as one young lady asked “have you ever had a wedding at the landfill cause it’s a really cool place!”
Even the teachers and parents are intrigued as they learn what lengths we have to go to in order to dispose of something as simple as household garbage, said Wallman. Most people are not aware of how stringent the environmental regulations are regarding waste disposal.
Other facts that amaze the landfill tourists include the total tonnage of material the landfill collects and sends away for recycling (693 tonnes in 2009) and from how far away some waste is collected (ie. Moose Lake Provincial Park).
