Herein lies a tale of two dumps, Auburn and Grass Valley.  Actually, we no longer call them “dumps” as we did in olden times.  Now they are known by high-faluting titles such as Waste Reclamation Sites, or Transfer Stations, or Recology Facilities.  Are you impressed?  I’m not.  They are still dumps to me, delightfully stinky, dusty places where you take your garbage and unwanted detritus and dump it.

I am going to compare the Auburn Transfer Station with the McCourtney (Grass Valley) Transfer Station.  Sorry, ladies, these articles are, as CJ calls them, “icky boy stuff.”  I love going to the dump, and I just can’t understand why CJ doesn’t get it.  Go figure.

The Auburn Transfer Station (AKA Auburn Placer RECOLOGY) at 12305 Shale Ridge Road

Hours:  8 am to 4:45 pm every day

How to get there:  from Highway 49 in Auburn heading north toward Grass Valley, go right on Shale Ridge Lane.  It’s between Bell Road and Dry Creek Road.  Look for the sign on the left.

Circle on around to the left until you get to the check in station.

Auburn charges by the cubic yard and guessing and whether they like you or not and their attitude on that particular day.  You never know exactly how much you will be charaged or how.  Try arguing with them.  It has worked for me.

I w ill tell you this:  You are going to pay more, a lot more than you will in Grass Valley at the McCourtney Transfer Station.

Having paid through the nose, you back your vehicle into the covered shed and toss your stuff down to the floor.  A bulldozer will come along, by and by, and push it into big piles, and later, into scoop the piles into trucks where it vanishes from civilized sight.

There is nothing pleasant or fun about this dump.  Just get in and out as fast as you can.

Here is a list of stuff they will take for free:  newspapers, cardboard, white paper (they won’t take pink paper?), motor oil, batteries, aluminum, glass, and plastic.

Here is a list of stuff for which they will charge a fee:  latex paint (what about oil based paint?), appliances, tires, scrap metal (they are going to SELL the scrap metal so why are they charging you for it?), wood and green waste.

For questions, you can call customer service at 530-885-3735.