Squamish horse owner Shaneen Alana Smith said she was shocked to discover recently that the Squamish Landfill is no longer taking animal waste.
Smith said she needs to dispose of about a trailer full of horse manure every few months, and has always taken it to the landfill with no issue.
In the last few weeks, workers at the landfill have been turning away horse owners who arrive at the dump, Smith said.
Smith said horses are kept on Squamish properties on Robin, Finch and Raven drives.
“They aren’t big properties so we can’t really dispose of manure on our own property,” Smith said.
According to District of Squamish staff, the practice of accepting manure at the dump is contrary to the district’s solid waste bylaw.
“Manure was previously accepted at the Squamish Landfill as it was mixed with soil and used as ‘cover,’ however as it is contrary to the bylaw and options are available for composting, this practice has now been stopped,” reads an emailed statement from the District of Squamish.
Anything that can be recycled or composted is no longer welcome at the landfill, according to the district.
The landfill has been a topic of much discussion at council over the past year as experts say the site could be at capacity within a year or two. Council directed staff in May to work with consultants on a design for vertical expansion of the landfill to help extend the life of the site.
Other businesses in the Sea to Sky Corridor do accept manure, including Sea to Sky Soils and Carney’s Waste Systems.
“Residents are encouraged to contact them directly to set up a compost container and collection, as well as coordinate collection times and tote sizes,” a district spokesperson told The Squamish Chief in an email.
A spokesperson for Sea to Sky Soils said the company accepts horse manure at its processing facility north of Whistler for a tipping fee of about $73 a tonne. The manure is then turned into Class A compost, the spokesperson said.
Carney’s told The Squamish Chief they do not accept horse manure at their facility in the Industrial Park, but residents can rent a bin.
“Every job is priced according to weight of the bin – average cost for manure in a three-yard bin is $108 per service in Squamish, rent is $26 per month,” Colleen Carney told The Chief by email, adding that the horse manure goes to either Carney’s compost facility south of Whistler or Sea to Sky Soils.
Smith said she totally understands and supports the need to compost, but said the change at the landfill came as a shock and noted that taking her horse waste somewhere else will be an added expense.
She is hopeful an alternative solution can be found.
“Who knows, there may be a composting facility here in the near future,” she said. “Might make sense since the city has grown so much.”
