NEWSRELEASE

FORIMMEDIATERELEASE Contact:March24,2020 PatrickMathews ZoëShoats CAO,PIO DirectorofCommunications SalinasValleyRecycles MRWMD (831)775-3000 (831)264-6390 patrickm@svswa.org zshoats@mrwmd.org

MontereyCountyLandfillOperatorsProvideCriticalPublicHealthServicesThroughCOVID-19Crisis

LandfillsRemainOpentothePublic;CurbsideSanitationServicesContinue

(MontereyCounty,CA)Thestatewideshelter-in-placeorderannouncedbyGovernorGavinNewsomlastThursdayexcludesthemostessentialbusinesses,andlikeotherpublicutilities,wasterecoveryandrecyclingservicesarevitaltopublichealth,maintainingsanitaryconditionsandsafedisposalofsolidwastethroughouttheCounty.Landfilloperationswillremainopenuntilfurthernotice,andgarbage/sanitationserviceswillcontinuetoprovideuninterruptedcurbsidepickupthroughtheCOVID-19healthcrisis,thoughthisremainsadynamicsituation.

MontereyRegionalWasteManagementDistrict(MRWMD)operatesthelandfillandresourcerecoveryoperationforwesternMontereyCountyjustoutsideofMarina.Thelandfill,materialsrecoveryfacility(MRF)andhouseholdhazardouswaste(HHW)facilityareopenfornormalbusiness,howevertheadministrativeoffices,LastChanceMercantileretailstoreanddonationcenter,CRVbottle/canbuybackcenterandlandscapeproductsalesaretemporarilysuspended.Currenthoursofoperationareavailableatwww.mrwmd.org.

SalinasValleyRecyclesoperatestheSunStreetTransferStationandHHWfacilityinSalinas,theJolonRoadTransferStationinKingCity,andtheJohnsonCanyonLandfillinGonzales,servingalleasternMontereyCountycommunities.HHWfacilityhourshavebeentemporarilyreducedtoTuesday-Saturday,andadministrativeofficesareclosed.Uptodatehoursandfacilitiesinformationareavailableatwww.SalinasValleyRecycles.org.

Facilitiesforbothagenciesremainopenforbusinesswithadditionalsafetyandsocialdistancingmeasuresinplaceforbothstaffandcustomers.Whileadministrativeofficesareclosed,keypersonnelareworkingfromhometoobservetheshelter-in-placeguidelineswhilemaintainingthehighestlevelsofsafetyandservice.Administratorswillcontinuetoadaptasneededtothedevelopingsituation.

CitizensofMontereyCountymustcontinuetodotheirparttoobserveshelter-in-placeordersandmaintainsanitaryconditionsintheirhomes,andthisincludesproperlyusinggarbage,yardwasteandrecyclingcarts,and/orself-haulingwasteandrecyclingtothelandfillandtransferstationfacilities.HandwashingstationsareavailableatSalinasValleyRecyclingfacilities.Pleaseobservethesix-footsocialdistancingrecommendationsfromfacilitystaffandfromcurbsidecollectiondrivers.

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Asanaddedprecaution,ifyouorsomeoneinyourhouseholdareillorbelievetohavebeenexposedtotheCOVID-19virus,pleasebagtrashbeforeplacingitinthecarttopreventthespreadofthevirus,forthesafetyandhealthofthetrashhaulers,truckersandlandfillandtransferstationworkerswhomaycomeintocontactwiththetrash.TheCentersforDiseaseControlhasindicatedthatthevirusmaybeactiveandcommunicableforuptothreedays1whileitremainsonmaterials,sopleasebemindfulofothersdownstreamofthewasteandpreventexposure.

“Wewouldliketoencouragethepublictokeeprecycling,usingtheircurbsidecartswhiletheshelter-in-placeorderisineffect,”statesPatrickMathews,GeneralManagerforSalinasValleyRecycles.“Withasurgeinhomedeliveries,it’simportanttorecyclethosecardboardboxessonewboxescanbecreated,andfutureorderspackagedandshipped.”Asoftoday,recyclingisstillbeingdivertedfromlandfillssoproperrecyclingremainsessentialtomaximizelocallandfilllifespans.

TimFlanagan,GeneralManagerforMRWMDremindsresidentsandbusinessestousethefreerecyclingappforMontereyCounty“WhatGoesWhere”availableatwww.WhatGoesWhere.infooratmobileappstores.“Itisimportanttokeepitemsgoingintotherecyclingcartempty,cleananddrytoavoidcontaminatingmaterials,”saysFlanagan.“Makethemostoftheseimportantservices.”

###ADDITIONALINFORMATIONMontereyRegionalWasteManagementDistrict(MRWMD)islocatedjustnorthofMarinaat14201DelMonteBlvd.,MontereyCounty,CA93933-1670,servingapopulationofapproximately170,000in853squaremiles,includingthecitiesofCarmel-by-the-Sea,DelReyOaks,Marina,Monterey,PacificGrove,SandCity,Seaside,andtheunincorporatedareasofBigSur,CarmelHighlands,CarmelValley,Castroville,CorralDeTierra,LagunaSeca,MossLanding,PebbleBeach,SanBenancio,andToroPark.Call831-384-5313forinformationorvisitwww.mrwmd.orgSalinasValleyRecycles(SVR)hasthreelocationsincludingSunStreetTransferStation(andHHWfacility)at139SunStreetinSalinas,JohnsonCanyonLandfillat31400JohnsonCanyonRoadinGonzales,andJolonRoadTransferStationat52654JolonRoadinKingCity.SVRservesapopulationofapproximately244,000along95linearmilesdesignatedastheHighway101corridor,includingthecommunitiesofAromas,Bradley,Chualar,Gonzales,Greenfield,Jolon,KingCity,Lockwood,Prunedale,RoyalOaks,Salinas,SanArdo,SanLucas,Soledad,andSpreckels.Call831-775-3000orvisitwww.SalinasValleyRecycles.orgforinformation.MRWMDandSVRarenotthecurbsideserviceproviders;contactGreenWasteRecovery,WasteManagementInc.,MontereyCityDisposal,Tri-CitiesDisposal,orRepublicServicesforinformationaboutcurbsidepickupservices.

1https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/new-coronavirus-stable-hours-surfaces