Cascade County opened its temporary dump site in Belt on April 8.

The county opened a section of its new solid waste dump site at 2298 Tiger Butte Road while the new full site is being constructed.

Containers have been placed on the ground allowing residents to back up next to a container and dispose of their household waste.

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The temporary site will follow the same schedule and rules as if it were the permanent site, which are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

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Cascade County Public Works Director Les Payne told The Electric that he’d likely have more updates on the project next week.

On March 11, County Commissioners signed a lease for 2.48 acres, adjacent to the former site, for the next 20 years after the former site was closed to the public in December by the property owner after lease negotiations with the county broke down.

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Payne said in March that county public works staff is discussing designs and building plans with local engineers. Once those designs are complete, staff will solicit bids.

Payne told The Electric that his department had surveyors stake out the leased area at ground level. County staff built a dirt berm around the east and north section of the property and will also be installing a dirt berm to separate the temporary section of the site from the rest of the leased area and will place temporary snow fence on that sectioning berm to help catch trash.

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Payne said in March that public works staff stripped the topsoil section off the entire 2.48 acres of the new site to get soil samples so engineers which spot is best for building. That will be determine by the ground and depth of shale or gravel that may or may not be present, he said.

Public works staff also leveled out the entire 2.48 acres by pulling shale from areas within heavy shale and rocks, moving it to the area the temporary dump site section.

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Payne said they’re using that shale and rock as their base, then bringing in road mix gravel and compacting that as their top layer so residents and Republic Services trucks aren’t dealing with muddy conditions.

County staff will be installed a gate to control access and once all construction is complete, the site will be fully enclosed by chain link fence, he said.

Payne said in March that the new site structure will largely mirror the former site, but likely be built out of mechanically stabilized earth, which is large concrete blocks more tolerant to movement, making it more cost effective and would allow the county to remove and reuse blocks elsewhere in the future if needed.

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Public works also added a culvert and approach to the site, Payne told The Electric.

Expenses for the new site so far have been for the culvert installation, fabric under ground material, surveying, geotech study, engineering for the structural design and public works staffing and equipment, Payne told The Electric in March.