Van Buren To Open Bidding For New Fall Creek Falls Trash Compactor

Van Buren County Committee A approved a plan to begin soliciting bids for a new trash compactor at the Fall Creek Falls Lodge Monday night.

The new plan is being proposed as a way to improve upon the former waste plan, which had the county providing containers and removal for all solid waste. The lodge is using a compactor from Priority Waste Services. While the plan worked well at first, County Commissioner Cale Crain said it is time to look for a new deal.

“Somewhere, somebody thought it was a good idea to do a third party in the middle of these contracts for solid waste throughout the state and it has been a pain in the hind end,” Crain said.

Crain said he is confident that a compactor owned by the lodge itself would save the most money in the long run. Tennessee State Parks Director of Operations Robert Walling said he wants to be careful of any unintended consequences the new plan may cause.

“I’m not sure if we’re going to cause a bidding war,” Walling said. “If you all take the compactor away from them, we’re not giving them money for that, are they going to jack up your rates for disposal at their fields?”

County officials said the county will put a heavy emphasis on proper maintenance for the new compactor, which was an issue with the last one at the lodge.

“It’s going to be y’all’s baby, and whatever happens to it, we don’t know,” Crain said. “We don’t know what you’re putting in it, we don’t know what’s going through it.”