Billings Regional Landfill
Due to high winds at the Landfill, please make sure your garbage is bagged and tied!
Hours of Operation
Monday through Saturday 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, closed on Sundays.
Billings Regional Landfill 2023 Scheduled Holidays & Closures
| Holiday | Date | Landfill Status |
|---|---|---|
| Day after New Year’s 2023 | Monday, January 2 | Open |
| Martin Luther King Day | Monday, January 16 | Open |
| President’s Day | Monday, February 20 | Open |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 29 | Closed |
| Independence Day | Tuesday, July 4 | Closed |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 4 | Closed |
| Veteran’s Day | Friday, November 10 | Open |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 23 | Closed |
| Day After Thanksgiving | Friday, November 24 | Open |
| Christmas Day | Monday, December 25 | Closed |
| New Year’s Day 2024 | Monday, January 1 | Closed |
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Billings Regional Landfill
Physical Address
5240 Jellison Road
Billings, MT 59101
Phone: 406-657-8285
Overview
The Billings Regional Landfill is the largest landfill in Montana. 250 of the 800 acre landfill are permitted to receive waste. The landfill receives over 350,000 tons of garbage per year from five counties including, Carbon, Musselshell, Stillwater, Treasure, and Yellowstone.
Lifespan
If the landfill continues to receive the same amount waste, it will be full in approximately 50 years. This can be greatly expanded if recyclables are diverted from the landfill.
Design
The city is currently using a portion of the Landfill which is lined with on-site clay soils and a synthetic liner to help prevent contaminates from reaching, and potentially polluting, groundwater.
Maintenance
The waste pile is managed following a process called the Alternate Daily Cover (ADC). Under this protocol the waste pile is covered with posi-shell. This product helps prevent litter problems, odors and scavenging animals, it also aids the expected lifespan of the facility and provides fire-control. Wind screens are positioned around the pile to help catch any blowing debris. Empty plastic bags are the biggest nuisance at the landfill as they are easily caught by the wind and transported off site. Tying a knot in an empty bag before throwing it away will prevent it from becoming airborne. Better yet - recycle!
| Waste Types in the Landfill | |
|---|---|
| Municipal Waste* (commercial and residential) | 60% |
| Non-hazardous waste (refinery waste, sewage sludge, agricultural waste) | 15% |
| Inert Waste (construction/demolition debris, non-contaminated soil, tires) | 25% |
*Of the municipal waste received, about 40% is some sort of paper product, 15% is metals, glass and plastic, the remaining 45% is food waste, wood products and asphalt products etc.
Accepted Waste Types Information
You can take accepted items to the Landfill. Learn more about Waste Types and disposal before heading to the Landfill. For additional information call 406-657-8285.
| These items require special handling, please separate from other materials and seal in non-leaking container (no more than 5 gallons). Follow the Gate Attendant’s instructions for disposal drop-off | ||
|---|---|---|
Accepted Items
| Special Handling Items
| Unacceptable ItemsThe Landfill will not allow disposal/ drop-off of these items:
|
* Gasoline Disposal Guidelines
| Due to the volatile nature of this product, it must be contained in a suitable, hard plastic or metal container 5 gallons or less in size, sealed and labeled as ’gasoline’. The container cannot be returned. If the gasoline is mixed (2-stroke), it may be dropped off with the other motor oil products. Please, be cautious when selecting a container as all types of plastic are not able to store gasoline and remain stable. All containers should have a fume vent capability (this is built-in on containers designed to contain gasoline, for other containers small holes can be applied to allow venting). LEARN MORE about how to safely transport and store gasoline at home. |
** Vermiculite Disposal
| Activities involving vermiculite insulation are regulated. The EPA recommends that all vermiculite insulation be considered friable asbestos-containing material. Because there is no reliable analytical or sampling protocol for the testing for the presence of asbestos in vermiculite insulation, the EPA does not recommend having it analyzed. Present analytical methods too often produce false negatives. (See EPA’s Vermiculite.) Additional information is available from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality Asbestos Control Program. |
Where to Take Unacceptable and Special Disposal Materials
- Ammunition, fireworks and explosives, contact the Billings Police Department Bomb Squad at (406) 657-8200.
- Commercial hazardous waste, contact Beartooth Environmental at (406) 373-2220.
Regulations
Required Load Inspections
Random incoming trucks and vehicles are screened for prohibited and restricted wastes. Unacceptable wastes are returned for proper disposal.
Landfill Monitoring
Federal and state environmental regulations require landfill operators to monitor groundwater, storm water and landfill gas.
Seven groundwater monitoring wells are sampled twice a year to determine if land filling activities are negatively impacting groundwater quality. All storm water running off the landfill is diverted into a storm water detention pond and sampled prior to being discharged.
Landfill gas monitoring points are positioned around the perimeter of the landfill and sampled quarterly to detect the presence of methane and other landfill gases.
Fees and Policies
The Resolution Establishing Solid Waste Residential and Commercial Collection and Disposal Fees and Landfill Use Fees was adopted by the Billings City Council on June 26, 2023. These fees become effective July 1, 2023 and are available to view in their entirety in Resolution 23-11133. Third Party Landfill Haulers, please submit the completed agreement for account file.
Vehicles arriving at the Billings Regional Landfill are required to have their loads secured. Vehicles that do not meet the secured load criteria as defined in the Unsecured Load Policy (PDF) will be assessed the Unsecured Load Fee per the Landfill use fees adopted on June 10, 2019.
Schedule III - Landfill Fees
| Origin of Waste | MSW* | 0-3.0 CY or 0-1500LBS** |
|---|---|---|
| City of Billings | $26.00 | No Charge |
| Other Towns / Counties | $39.00 | $13.50 |
| Outside Montana | $52.00 | $18.00 |
*MSW - Municipal solid waste, construction & demolition, etc. (per ton)
**Residential Yellowstone County customers are assessed a landfill fee on their annual tax statement which allows for loads less than 1.5 CY or 700 LBS be brought to the landfill at no additional charge to them.
Unused Medication Disposal
Any unused medications should be taken to an approved drop-off location for safe disposal. The Department of Justice provides a searchable data base of approved locations, find a location near you.
Some prescription and OTC medications may be placed in drop--boxes at The Billings Crime Prevention Center at 2910 3rd Ave North, (406) 247-8590, please see the accepted items list and Guidelines section for additional information on proper handling and disposal practices.
ACCEPTED ITEMS
| NOT-ACCEPTED ITEMS
|
Guidelines for proper handling and disposal of medications and sharps in the State of Montana are provided by the Montana Department of Environment Quality (MTDEQ), additional information is available from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA):