Garbage is dirty, SLV Landfill is Clean

SAN LUIS VALLEY– Dealing with garbage is a dirty job, but a necessary one. On a local level, that job falls to the SLV Regional Solid Waste Authority (SLVRSWA).


Established in April of 1993 through an intergovernmental agreement between Alamosa and Rio Grande Counties, SLVRSWA was the “first step” in addressing what was a growing problem of solid waste across the Valley. A landfill site was established in 1994, and the first load of trash was dumped Feb. 6, 1995. The new site marked the “beginning of a solution.”


The site is located in Rio Grande County but operates as a separate authority. The landfill currently services all six SLV counties. Each county must pay a “tipping fee” which provides the funding for the facility. The landfill has also earned recognition for being one of the cleanest sites in the state. In addition, SLVRSWA has made efforts towards being part of the local community. These efforts have included joining the Upper Rio Grande Economic Development Council and making the facility available to school construction projects and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Spring Fire. The facility also assists in recycling efforts and serves as a drop-off location for baling twine, which is sent to a facility in Ft. Collins to be repurposed.


SLVRSWA is governed by an operating board. The board includes Alamosa County Commissioner Darius Allen as the chair, Rio Grande County Commissioner Gene Glover, Mark Wright of the City of Alamosa, Robert Vance of the City of Monte Vista and Dixie Diltz. The SLVRSWA staff includes Landfill Manager Jim Clare, Cheri Malouff and Roxanne Kroschel. The fact of life that waste still remains, and there is a local entity that has shown a commitment to tackling that issue for the entire region.


More information can be found at www.slvlandfill.com.