City of Walla Walla adjusts Sudbury Landfill availability

WALLA WALLA— In order to provide better service to customers, the City of Walla Walla is adjusting the availability of the Sudbury Landfill to the public. The goal is to maintain a balance between these factors:

The state of Washington’s COVID-19 restrictions on business operations

Service to local residents

The health and safety of Landfill operators and customers

Effective immediately, landfill access for essential businesses and local and state government entities will be available between 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

Examples of essential businesses include contractors operating in compliance with Gov. Jay Inslee’s 'Stay Home, Stay Healthy' order, as well as the Washington State Penitentiary and the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office.

Access for the general public will only be available from 8:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. on Wednesdays. The city requests that customers limit disposal to essential items relating to health and safety, and to practice proper physical distancing while at the Landfill.

Customers who have an item they believe should be considered essential or urgent for disposal should call the Landfill in advance to confirm access. Landfill staff can be reached by phone at (509) 527-4591 during operating hours. The landfill is located at 414 Landfill Road in Walla Walla.

Update: April 8, 2020

WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Due to the demand for services at the Sudbury Landfill, the City will reopen the facility to the public from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays beginning tomorrow, Thursday, April 9, and also on Saturdays beginning April 18.

Due to a variety of health-related issues, the facility has been operating with reduced staffing. In addition, personal protective equipment (PPE) has been in short supply because the Public Works Department gave most of its PPE to the Fire/Ambulance Department for use by first responders.

Based on these factors, the City sought to adjust the Landfill’s hours to maintain a balance between the state’s restrictions on business operations; service to residents; and the health and safety of Landfill operators and customers.

Although the state is under a “Stay home. Stay Healthy” order, the Landfill has not seen any reduction in demand for services. Given this, the City is taking these actions to provide for greater public access. By spreading out traffic over multiple days, they seek to reduce the density of customer visits and, hopefully, the risk of virus transmission.

To handle the increased hours with the current staff shortage, the city hired an additional temporary employee and will backfill with employees from other Public Works divisions as needed to assist at the Landfill. In addition, the spouse of a department official sewed washable masks this week for Landfill staff, which will help protect the health of employees and customers alike.

The City appreciates the public’s cooperation and patience as they take these measures to avoid the spread of the coronavirus and help to preserve the health of customers and employees, and they thank the public for understanding in this time of uncertainty for all.

If you have questions, please call the Landfill at 509-524-4591 during operating hours.