SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): The Columbia City Council has approved the construction of a new building to house the city's recycling operations in place of the one that was damaged in April by an EF1 tornado. Since the damage occurred, the city has battled to maintain normal recycling services, sending some recyclables to the dump and routing others to a Jefferson City facility.

According to Utilities Director Erin Keys, the present recycling gear at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) on Peabody Road is now exposed outdoors, making operations difficult and inefficient. She added that months after the hurricane, the center's sorting mechanisms are still not operational.

The rebuild is projected to cost around $3.6 million, funded entirely through insurance reimbursements. According to city officials, it will take 12 to 18 months to complete the design and construction. The new building will have offices, a staff break area, and covered space for the recycling machinery. It will be very similar to the old structure.

Keys underlined that the effort is not an upgrade but a replacement to restore functionality. Even if the city's recycling procedures are altered in the future, the new structure will still be beneficial to the community, she continued.

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