The amount of trash hauled to the landfill and container sites around Flathead County was down again in September.

County Public Works Director Dave Prunty reported to county commissioners that garbage volume dropped by 5 percent in September, compared to September 2010.

"We are trending down," Prunty said. "We are leveling off with waste; it's happening throughout the U.S. When garbage volume comes up, you will know that economic recovery is here."

Garbage volume has been higher than it was a year ago during only two months in 2011, he said. In January, volume increased by 22 percent and in March it was up 50 percent. The March increase was attributed to the debris and materials cleaned up from an overturned train near Essex. Slightly more than 2,000 tons of frozen turkey parts spilled from the rail cars and had to be thrown away.

Prunty also reported that the solid waste board has identified three acres in the Canyon it plans to purchase for a new container site.

IN OTHER LANDFILL discussion, he said the $2 million total price tag to install a new liner at the landfill ended up being $40,000 less than the county had budgeted for the project. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has signed off on the liner project and that cell of the landfill has been in use for more than a month.

The landfill continues to exceed industry standards related to volume, Prunty and landfill Operations Manager Jim Chilton said.

Aerial photos of the landfill were used to help determine effective density, Chilton said.

"Overall we are exceeding our goal of 900 cubic pounds per cubic yard of space," he said.

Prunty said packing as much garbage into a lined cell as possible is the goal of the landfill staff. More trash and less dirt "is good, especially in light of how expensive liners are," Prunty said. The county doesn't want to waste valuable space where garbage should be buried by using too much cover dirt, which takes up space.

And the more that trash is compacted, the more methane it produces, allowing for additional amounts of methane gas to be captured at the landfill gas plant operated by Flathead Electric.

Prunty said he and Flathead County Undersheriff Jordan White continue to focus on enforcing the county rule that requires people to secure any trash that is being hauled in a vehicle to a container site or the landfill.

"We're seeing improvement, but have a long way to go," Prunty said.

White said the volume of prescription drugs being placed in the new container at the justice center on the courthouse campus has steadily increased in the month it's been in place. People may drop their unneeded prescription medicines into the secure box, which is emptied daily by a Sheriff's Office evidence technician. The pills are then mixed with paint and other materials, which turn into a solid substance, and are buried in the landfill.

The county has had a one-day prescription drug drop-off event for the last two years, but the local WasteNot program obtained a grant to pay for the container so that people can drop off their medication any time.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.