Trash transfer station opens Monday

After many years of planning and several months of construction, a trash transfer station on Poplar Bluff’s south side finally is ready to open.

A transfer station serves as a middle man so those with large amounts of waste don’t have to travel to a landfill.

“We’ve been looking at building a transfer station for five or six years, and we’re excited to get it open and to become a partner in the community,” said owner Chad Henson.

The Henson trash transfer station is housed inside an 80-by-80-foot metal building between the Poplar Bluff Industrial Park and Ozark Ridge Golf Course.DAR/Paul Davis

The facility, located at 355 County Road 305, will open Monday, Henson said.

“We’ll be open weekdays from 7 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.,” he said.

The transfer station will be “open to the public, contractors ... anybody that has waste they need to get rid of,” Henson said.

Chad Henson, owner of the Henson Trash transfer station, explains to visitors Friday how his new operation will work.DAR/Paul Davis

The facility, he suggests, can “provide a valuable service to the community, and we hope they can see the value in it.”

The transfer station, according to city manager Mark Massingham, is expected to be a benefit to the city and its citizens.

“I think with the cleanup efforts going on in Poplar Bluff and Butler County, the transfer station is going to be great for all of us,” Massingham said.

The City of Poplar Bluff already has a bulk trash pickup service, Massingham said, and the transfer station will eliminate travel to a distant landfill.

“We fill up our dump trucks and bring them here for disposal, and it saves us a little bit of money,” he said.

The roughly 80-by-80-foot building can take in essentially any kind of trash needing disposal, Henson said, including appliances, household waste, furniture and more.

In addition, stringent regulations will ensure the operation remains clean.

Once operational, Henson said, the facility will have a minimum weight of 800 pounds, and the cost will be determined by weight.

For questions about the transfer station, Henson asks that you call the office at 573-772-7593.