SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - It's taken eight months for the new three-cell system at the Yellowknife landfill to go from 70 per cent to 90 per cent done.

Brian Pearce goes to the Yellowknife landfill to find parts for his truck. He said for the new three-cell system to work, there needs to be staff on hand to keep things organized and safe. - Nicole Veerman/NNSL photo

In February, Dennis Kefalas, director of public works for the City of Yellowknife, told Yellowknifer the new facility was 70 per cent done and weeks away from completion. On Tuesday at a Solid Waste Management meeting, he said the project is about the "90 per cent" solved"

A visit by Yellowknifer to the new salvaging site early Wednesday afternoon indicates the retaining wall is complete, the concrete has nearly set and both the fences and dirt have arrived, but there was no one on site finishing the job.

With the last 10 per cent to go, Kefalas said he doesn't have a fixed date for the opening.

"We're really close," he said.

The new three-cell system is meant to create a safer, more organized salvaging site by having people set aside what they believe is salvageable in a separate location from the dumping area.

Salvaging at the landfill was put on hold in September 2009 after the dump caught fire early in the month.

At the time, Carl Bird, director of corporate services with the city, said the salvaging area would be closed for four to six weeks.

When the closure continued for months afterward, city councillor Paul Falvo, who chairs the city's Solid Waste Management Committee, expressed his frustration about the delays and announced he would table a motion asking salvaging be a higher priority for city administration.

In March, an interim salvaging area was opened, which was supposed to be replaced with the new three-cell system within a few weeks.

"Most of it is done," said Kefalas on Tuesday. "It's a slow process, but we're trying to get whatever material we can for free to help us build the site and help us reduce costs overall."

In the 2008 budget, the project was budgeted at $150,000, while the 2009 forecast was $138,000, with $12,000 being spent in 2009. The actual cost won't be available until the release of the 2011 budget.

Brian Pearce, who frequently stops by the landfill to salvage truck parts, said he doesn't think people will abide by the new rules.

"You can put what you want there, (but) people are going to dump where they feel like dumping. People come here in a rush and just throw things out," he said.

John Wannecke disagrees. While looking for salvageable items for his cabin, he said the new system is a great idea.

"It's more responsible," he said. "I mean, we'll have less to salvage, but it's more organized."

Kefalas said it's just a matter of conditioning the public to a new way of salvaging.

"As time goes on, you'll see more and more people using it, and it will become part of their weekly recycling practices."

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