City of Columbia officials say Sunday’s storms destroyed the city’s Material Recovery Facility, or MRF, and it may be days before they know what it’ll take to rebuild.
The MRF was for sorting recyclable materials. For now, Columbia residents will not have their recycling picked up curbside and also cannot drop it off at central collection sites until further notice.
“We’re assessing the damages," said Tom Ratermann, the city’s assistant director of solid waste. "But it’s too early to tell right now."
Both the repair costs and a timeline for a return to operations, whether minimal or full, are still uncertain until further evaluations are complete. Ratermann said it will take a while before a contractor is selected to help with the clean up.
"It's beyond the scope of what we can do ourselves," Ratermann said.
Ratermann said the MRF's administrative building, which is in the same location, won't have power until, most likely, tomorrow. Administrators are currently working in City Hall.
Ratermann said the city is currently prioritizing waste disposal for restaurants and hospitals, as some hospitals need to be serviced on a daily basis.
Jason West, the communications and outreach supervisor for Columbia's utility department, said the MRF is a complete loss. However, Ratermann said the destruction of the building may present the possibility for a restructuring of Columbia's recycling system.
"There are different technologies that can automate the rest of the process," Ratermann said. "I suspect that we'll be looking at those technologies."
The MRF had two waste streams — one for fibrous material, such as paper and cardboard, and one for containers. However, Ratermann said "the way to go" might be a single stream, in which residents can put both types of recyclables in a single roll cart to be pick up curbside and sorted at the new MRF, either by hand or by machine.
