Wind Blown Trash Solutions at Trash over acres': Neighbors demand solution for garbage blown from Billings landfill

Residents near the Billings Regional Landfill are voicing frustration over persistent wind-blown trash littering their properties, a problem they claim has spanned decades.

 

Strong winds frequently carry debris onto nearby roads and fields, notably along Hillcrest and Stratton Roads.

 

Local homeowner Joel Guthals has been at the forefront of seeking remedies.

 

"It's a crime to litter... and we have the biggest littering operation in the state of Montana, just doing it all the time," he remarked.

 

In 2022, Guthals, alongside other residents, initiated legal action against the City of Billings and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

 

Despite the city's construction of a transfer facility in 2019 aimed at compacting waste, Guthals observed that the issue remains unresolved.

 

"We have met with various officials of the city over the years... (but) none of it seems to have made a lasting difference," he stated.

 

He advocates for a community meeting to address the problem collaboratively.

 

"The first thing that I would like to see is for the city or a committee of the city or the city council to schedule a meeting and invite neighbors to come to the meeting to discuss this problem," Guthals added.

 

Another resident, Russ Hall, noted an escalation in the problem over recent years.

 

"It's always happened when there's been a windstorm, but it definitely seems to have gotten worse in the last five years or so," Hall commented.

 

He described fields blanketed with debris extending over half a mile, with fences heavily laden with trash.

 

In response, the city is exploring enhanced mitigation strategies.

 

"We're currently exploring a bunch of mitigating factors such as more new and improved wind screens, probably taller fences," said Bret Moore, the city's solid waste superintendent.

 

Moore also emphasized the importance of residents securing their waste.

 

"Blue Creek and the landfill area is definitely our biggest complaint area, and that's where the lack of bagging, tying and binning shows its ugly head so to speak," he noted.

 

To address the immediate concerns, the city is collaborating with the nonprofit Bright n’ Beautiful for a cleanup event near the landfill on April 25.

 

Residents are encouraged to participate in this community effort to tackle the ongoing issue of landfill litter.