Mission
The Solid Waste Department’s mission is to provide the residents of St. Lawrence County with an economical and environmentally sound solid waste disposal options and recycling avenues. This mission is accomplished through the operation of four transfer stations. We are also responsible for maintaining the County’s closed landfills.
History
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has provided mandates, starting back in the 1980’s, that determine how and why the Solid Waste Department does what is does. Up to the mid-1980’s it was common for most communities to have dumps or small landfills. In the late 1980’s NYSDEC required these sites to close, so the County went to three larger landfills at that time. The last of these landfills was closed in the spring of 1992. Since that time we have been hauling our MSW – municipal solid waste to the Development Authority of the North Country (DANC) landfill located at Rodman, NY. At about the same time, NYSDEC also mandated recycling. Over the years we have tried operating our own sorting lines or MRFs (material recovery facility), but have ultimately made the decision to haul our recyclables to recycling facilities in Central NY. We are currently using a Casella owned facility – FCR Recycling located in Stanley, NY.
Over the years St. Lawrence County has enacted two laws that affect the way trash and recyclables our handled in our county. The first law, Source Separation, was written in 1991 and amended in 1997. It makes it mandatory for county residents to recycle, for haulers to provide and enforce recycling, and for the county to oversee this process. The second law, Flow Control, was written in 2008 and requires all MSW generated in St. Lawrence County to be disposed of in St. Lawrence County at a transfer station or at the DANC landfill.
Learn more about waste management at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website.
Brief Description of Services
The St. Lawrence County Solid Waste Department provides solid waste disposal and recycling services with flexible payment options. It operates transfer stations in:
Ogdensburg (Arnold-Wagner Road) | Phone: (315) 393-7501
Hours: M, T, W & F - 8am to 3pm, Thursday 8am to 12pm (May 1 until November 1), Thursday closed (November 2 until April 30), Saturday 8am to 12pm.
Massena (Dump Road off Route 420 toward Winthrop) | Phone: (315) 764-7312
Hours: M, T, TH & F 8am to 3pm, and Saturday 8am to 12pm, Closed Wednesday.
Gouverneur (US Route 11) | Phone: (315) 287-0919
Hours: M, W, TH & F 8am to 3pm, and Saturday 8am to 12pm, Closed Tuesday.
Star Lake (Route 3) | Phone: (315) 848-3589
Hours: T & TH - 10am to 5pm, and Saturday 8am to 12pm. Closed Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
All sites are closed on Sunday. If a holiday falls on a Monday, each site is open on its regularly scheduled closed day that week except Star Lake which maintains its regular schedule. For a comprehensive schedule, click here.
For Household Hazardous Waste - the Solid Waste Department maintains a listing of ways to dispose of these materials; please call (315) 379-9084 if you wish information on disposal of these items.
New York State DEC Open Burning Regulations
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation instituted new open burning regulations on October 14, 2009. A link to their web page is provided for your convenience for FAQs.
Proper Handling of "Sharps"
Did you know that needles (hypodermic syringes) are handled at least five times before final disposal? Most folks don't. Needles help many people obtain the medicines they need, but needles can be very dangerous to handle. Click here to get a brochure with much important information about how to properly dispose of used needles.
