Accident damaging structural beam closes Shawano landfill

SHAWANO — The Shawano County Landfill will be closed until further notice due to damage sustained at the garbage and recycling transfer facility on Wednesday.

Scott Kroening, Shawano public works director, said a commercial hauler damaged a structural beam, rendering the facility unsafe for loading or unloading.

He said a structural engineer will have to be brought in to do a design for a new beam.

There was no timeframe for the closure.

“It’s not going to be easy, or fast,” Kroening said.

City Administrator Eddie Sheppard said the hauler had the dumping bucket raised on his vehicle and drove through the beam, which is the main support for the transfer station facility that stores both garbage and recycling.

The beam was broken in half, he said.

“We can’t have anyone in the building,” Sheppard said.

The city sent out a statement saying residents will still receive curbside garbage and recycling pickup during this time. Also, yard waste and wood waste will be still accepted at the landfill.

Kroening said the city would be using an area of the active landfill for disposal of that material, but noted it was a small area and won’t suffice for long.

If the closure lasts long, the city might have to start taking waste to Marathon or Brown counties.

“We’re doing our best to get this fixed,” Kroening said. “Safety is out main concern.”

Sheppard said the available landfill space, which is mostly used now for local foundry waste, will probably only last a few days.

That will at least give the city time to figure out whether it’s more efficient to truck the waste to Marathon or Brown counties, he said.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your cooperation and understanding while we correct this issue,” the city said in its statement.

For more information, contact the Department of Public Works at 715-526-3512.