Beltrami County closes solid waste facilities April 21 for training

Trash hauls, demolition debris and recycling runs across Beltrami County will hit a one-day pause when every county solid waste facility closes April 21 for mandatory annual safety training.

The shutdown will affect the Bemidji Transfer Station at 751 Industrial Park Drive SE, the Blackduck/Kelliher Transfer Station at 33003 Hwy 72 NE in Blackduck, the Demolition Landfill at 2331 North Plantagenet Road SE in Bemidji, and rural drop sites in Ten Lakes, Island Lake, Fourtown, Waskish, Pinewood and Blackduck. Residents and businesses that rely on those sites will need to shift loads to another day or hold material until normal service resumes.

That matters most for people who plan their household cleanouts, contractor debris runs or weekend hauling around the county’s regular schedule. The Bemidji Transfer Station normally operates Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with Tuesday closed to the public. The Demolition Landfill follows a seasonal schedule that changes between April through November and December through March, but it will still be closed for the training day.

Beltrami County says the training is part of keeping the system safe and dependable. The county’s Solid Waste Division says its job is to make viable outlets for waste materials available to residents while running an environmentally responsible, reliable, sustainable, convenient and cost-effective program. The solid waste management plan is updated every 10 years, underscoring how closely the county treats long-term disposal, recycling and landfill planning.

County recycling guidance also puts the emphasis on sorting right the first time. It says proper waste management starts with recycling, and warns that contamination can drive up annual costs through extra sorting and cleanup. That makes the April 21 closure more than a scheduling inconvenience. It is also part of how the county keeps its waste system functioning safely and avoids preventable expense.

For Beltrami County, the one-day closure is a reminder that solid waste service depends on more than open gates and posted hours. The county is asking residents to plan ahead so the transfer stations, landfill and rural sites can reopen with staff trained and ready to keep the system working properly.