"What does it mean?"

Information About the New Leon County Transfer Station

Why does Leon County have a Transfer Station?

Instead of building another household waste landfill in Leon County, the County Commission decided to build a Transfer Station and haul household waste to a regional landfill located in Jackson County.

What exactly is a Transfer Station?

The Transfer Station is the place where garbage trucks bring the household waste collected from the residents and businesses of Leon County. The garbage is emptied onto the tipping floor, inspected for prohibited, hazardous, or bulky material, then  loaded into 53 ft. long tractor trailers and transported to the regional landfill.

Is the Solid Waste Management Facility on Apalachee Parkway closing?

No. The household waste landfill is just one function of the Leon County Solid Waste Management Facility. The facility still accepts construction and demolition debris, tires, appliances, metal goods, yard waste, electronics, wood debris, recycling and household hazardous waste. Citizens can bring their household garbage to the Drop-Off Center at the facility as well.

How big is the Transfer Station?

The Transfer Station is located on 20 acres of land near the intersection of Capital Circle SW and Gum Road. The property has four buildings; a scale house, an office building, a maintenance building, and the Transfer Station itself. The main building is 26,700 square feet, fully enclosed, and has a 40-ft. high ceiling.

the hours of operation are?

The station is open from 3:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, and from 7:00 am to 11:30 pm on Saturday.

How long does the process take, from garbage truck to tractor-trailer?

The garbage is dumped, inspected, separated and pushed onto the conveyor belt by a customized loader, compacted, and then pushed into the bed of the tractor trailer, all in approximately 30-45 minutes.

Where does the garbage go?

The tractor-trailers drive approximately 85 miles west of Tallahassee, to the Springhill Regional Landfill in the town of Cambelton, Fl. The round trip takes approximately 3.5 hours. Waste Management, Inc. operates both the landfill and the tractor-trailers.

How many trucks go in and out of the Transfer Station each day?

An average of 100 garbage trucks and 42 tractor-trailers unload and load at the Transfer Station each day.

The peak times for Transfer Station activity are 3:00 am to 4:00 am, 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, and from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm.

What if I need to dump my household waste?

The transfer station is only for commercial and governmental haulers, such as Waste Management, Inc., the City of Tallahassee or Florida State University. However, permits may be issued for those businesses that need to dump more than the usual amount of household waste on a regular basis. Those with inquiries about Transfer Station permits should contact the Transfer Station Office at 606-1840. Citizens who just have a few bags of household waste can still take their garbage to the drop off area at the Solid Waste Management Facility on Apalachee Parkway, or to any of the Rural Waste Collection Centers.

Contact information:

Fred Bennett bennettf@leoncountyfl.gov
(850) 606-1850

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