Welcome to the Canaan Transfer Station

BRUSH OR CLEAN WOOD MAY NOW BE DROPPED-OFF AT THE BURN AREA AT THE TRANSFER STATION

Correction on recycling rules. NO PIZZA BOXES WILL BE ALLOWED.

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WELCOME NEW TOWN EMPLOYEE

Hue Wetherbee was recently hired for a combination position with Canaan Water and Sewer and with the Canaan Transfer Station. Hue is a Canaan resident and has served with the Canaan Fire Department and the Canaan Emergency Medical Service. He has also served the community as a part-time softball coach. Hue graduated from Orford High School and has been employed in food service for 12 years. He is looking forward to developing a career in the management of water, wastewater, hazardous waste and solid waste. He has responded well to a steep learning curve as he starts these new careers.

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ISOLATION

Recently a complaint was filed that we were not maintaining 6 foot isolation distances at the transer station.

This was primarily at the trash drop-off. For the past several years, up to six cars at a time would park, grab their trash, drop it off and leave in a group. Based on the complaint last Saturday we restricted drop-off to 1 car at a time. Needless to say, the line backed up about half way to Orange Road. We did stay open a half hour longer to accomodate people waiting.

From this point on we will try the following plan:

We will return to two lanes wide leading to the drop-off. There will be two stop lines. The first will be a stop line to wait to unload trash and the second stop line in front of the trash hopper will be the stop line to unload trash. The first line you stop and wait. The second you stop and dump the trash.

That means two cars can unload at a time BUT people unloading will have to stay at least 6' away from each other while unloading. Please honor the rule and we will be able to reduce the line by at least half. If we can't all figure out what 6 feet is, we will go back to a car at a time.

THE OTHER PROBLEM

A startup says used tissues are safer than vaccinations. Should ...

We have an obligation to protect our employees. We require our employees to stay at least 6 feet from other people. That rule is impossible at the drop-offfor recycling.

Connie's face is very close to people dropping off recyclables and she needs to inspect all recyclables and remove contamination. She is required to wear either a mask or respirator to protect her nose and mouth.

A few weeks ago we pointed out that used tissue is not recyclable and has never been recyclable.

Nasal mucous or other liquids is as bad or worse than tomato paste on pizza boxes. Frankly, with covid 19, it is dangerous for Connie. The shelf life for Covid 19 is anywhere between 3 hours and several days. The used tissue itself can result in a whole load being rejected in South Portland.

She has been instructed to reject it when it comes in. This is our second notice on this issue but people are still doing it. Avoid looking like you are doing it on purpose. Please follow the rule.

 

 

• The Canaan Transfer Station is available for use by residents of Canaan and Orange who have a valid transfer station sticker available at the respective Town Offices.
  
  
• Transfer Station Stickers are required to use the Transfer Station. Each year the decal color on your sticker must be updated to reflect the current year.

• Pink decals are valid starting September 1, 2017

• Place your annual PINK decal on your existing Transfer Station Sticker.

Click here to read the 2019 Recycling Flyer

Transfer Station and Covid 19

NEW RULE CHANGES - LARGE AMOUNTS OF TRASH

With the Covid 19 protection system, the line gets too long if people are unloading trucks and trailers. People have had to wait 15 minutes for 1 truck to unload. People with large loads have been diverted to the lower compacter but this is increasing our costs by more than $10,000 a year and is no longer acceptable.

Most people do not bring in trucks and trailers full of trash.

Effective Friday May 15, 2020, trucks with trash over the truck body side walls (not wooden side boards) and people with trailers with trash will not be allowed to unload during regular drop-off times. A special time has been set aside for these loads.

NOTE CHANGE! BARRELS OR TRASH CANS THAT CAN BE UNLOADED AND DUMPED WITHOUT INDIVIDUALLY  UNLOADING ALL OF THE WASTE IN THE BARRELS OR CANS WILL BE ALLOWED. THIS IS ALL ABOUT TAKING A LONG TIME TO UNLOAD.

Effective May 17, people with truck loads of trash (not recycling) will be allowed to dump between 10 AM and Noon on Sundays.

THERE IS A CHARGE of $10.00 PER TRIP FOR USING THIS DEDICATED SUNDAY TIME SLOT.

CHECKS OR CASH TO ATTENDANT.

Regular trash drop off is not allowed on Sunday - Just trucks with loads above the top of the truck bed sides and trailers.  If Sunday is impossible, talk with JR at the Transfer Station. We may extend this time if necessary.

JUST WANT TO RECYCLE?

Don't go to the upper road. It will be only two lanes and you can't drive around them.

Effective Saturday, May 16, the lower gate is TWO LANES, ONE IN EACH DIRECTION. Use caution as people will be entering as you are leaving.

OTHER RULES

The drop off policy is below. PLEASE follow it.

No more than 2 cars side by side in front of the hopper!

The next two cars wait at the first stop sign until the car in front of them has left the hopper area.

If we continue to have people violate this rule, the police will issue citations.

HELP UNLOADING

Due to social distancing, attendants are no longer allowed to help unload trash. 

THE OTHER PROBLEM

We have an obligation to protect our employees. We require our employees to stay at least 6 feet from other people. That rule is impossible at the drop-offfor recycling.

Connie's face is very close to people dropping off recyclables and she needs to inspect all recyclables and remove contamination. She is required to wear either a mask or respirator to protect her nose and mouth.

A few weeks ago we pointed out that used tissue is not recyclable and has never been recyclable.

Nasal mucous or other liquids is as bad or worse than tomato paste on pizza boxes. Frankly, with covid 19, it is dangerous for Connie. The shelf life for Covid 19 is anywhere between 3 hours and several days. The used tissue itself can result in a whole load being rejected in South Portland.

She has been instructed to reject it when it comes in. Please follow the rules for everyones safety.

General Rules:

• Please be sure to call ahead to the Transfer Station 523-7952 to see if they are accepting brush for the burn pile before you load your vehicle and head down to the facility.
  
  
• It is illegal for any person to place or cause to be placed any waste in or around the Town's Transfer Station when the facility is not open to the public.
  
  
• The Transfer Station is for Canaan and Orange Residents only. Permits to use the facility are required.
  
  
• Recycling is encouraged in order to save cost of trash disposal.
  
  
• The Transfer Station is for household wastes only - no COMMERCIAL WASTE is permitted, but COMMERCIAL RECYCLING is allowed.
  
  
• Resident users shall follow the directions of the Transfer Station Attendant at all times.
  
  
• Bulky waste like furniture and mattresses and construction waste must go the the Lebanon Landfill - call 298-6486 or 298-7872, unless you want to wait until the Town has a Bulky Waste Collection Day.

Recycling

NO SORTING BETWEEN PAPER AND CONTAINERS - SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING!

The Town of Canaan has a single stream of all recyclables. The materials taken will include more things. Twice a month the items will be shipped in a tractor trailer to Portland Maine. This will reduce our trucking charges by about $15,000 a year and assure that recycling remains less costly than disposal.

The Collection Trailer for Recyclables:

This is what can and can't be recycled:

We are NOT accepting Pizza Boxes at this time.
Click HERE to View PDF.

Items that Require a Disposal Fee:

• Items needing freon removal: Refrigerators, Freezers, Air Conditioners, Dehumidifiers, etc. All contents and doors must be removed prior to drop off. Cost: $10
  
  
• Micowaves: $5
  
  
• Television Sets, Computers, or Computer Monitors: $15
  
  
• Propane Tanks: 20 pound tanks: $1. Larger tanks: $10
  
  
• Tires: Passenger tires: $2 each. Trucks tires: $5 each. Larger tires are priced by size.
  
  
• Florescent Bulbs and Tubes: 50¢ each

In 2012 the Town established three goals for the future:

♦Institute a Household Hazardous Waste Program
♦Restore construction waste and bulky waste disposal
♦Increase use of composting for yard and compostable waste

Household Hazardous Waste

Household Hazardous Waste events are held twice annually to take dangerous chemicals out of the waste stream and to recycle as much as possible. The sidebar on the left has a flyer that lists all of the chemicals that are collected. There is no charge for this service and it is paid for by our taxes.

Unlike regional programs where a resident has to drive twenty or more miles, the Canaan program is located at the Canaan Transfer Station. There is no charge to Canaan residents. The cost to the Town of Canaan is about a third of the cost of having the Regional Planning Commission provide the service.

All of Canaan's staff are properly trained. Waste oil, paint and antipfreeze are recycled. The waste is recycled by painting with the used paint, burning the waste oil in a waste oil furnace in the Town Garage and by recycling the antifreeze. 85% of all waste received in 2014 fit into the recycled category. All other waste is properly disposed of by licensed hazardous waste disposal companies.

We are looking to expand this service to neighboring towns at a profit to Canaan while still saving them money.

New Waste Hauling System

In 2014 Canaan switched to a full-time transfer station operator. J.R. Defosse was hired at the end of January to work 24 hours a week as a transfer station manager. He works an additional 16 hours a week hauling trash from town properties, doing government building repairs, and driving a tractor trailer that hauls our trash to the Lebanon Landfill. This gives us more control and flexibility over our waste hauling for the same amount, but adds services to maintain government buildings. J.R. came to us after working decades for Barry Normandeau's waste hauling company, Normandeau Trucking, in Groveton, NH.

Construction Waste

In the past we have taken construction waste at the transfer station. We discontinued the program because we had no accurate way of weighing the waste and therefore we undercharged for disposal. Our goal is to acquire a scale through grants to allow us to weigh and charge by weight. The new transfer station walls allow us to set up two 40 yard roll-off boxes for construction waste and bulky waste like furniture.

Compost

We have a compost area for yard and organic waste but few use it. About 14% of all of our waste is organic and compostable. That equals about 150 tons a year. We pay about $16,000 a year to transport it and landfill it. If we can encourage more backyard and transfer station composting, we would save more money.

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Annual Reports

Total Annual Costs of the Transfer Station

• 2007 $222,244
• 2008 $210,252
• 2009 $216,946
• 2010 $187,500
• 2011 $154,223
• 2012 $148,682
• 2013 $157,281
• 2014 $159,086
• 2015 $168,173
• 2016 $194,028
• 2017 $179,526
• 2018 $202,407
• Savings of 9% over last 11 years!

2018 Household Hazardous Waste Colletion Report

Canaan/Orange held two Household Hazardous Waste Days in 2018. The first was on June 9 and the second was on September 8th.

The Following are the results from the two collections:

2018
116 Canaan Households or 8%
14 Orange Households or 9%

501 Gallons of Paint
142 Gallons of Other Chemicals
111 Aerosols

2017
126 Canaan Households
137 Gallons of Other Chemicals
153 Aerosols

GREAT JOB! THANK YOU.