Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times

A new Bruin Waste Management recycling-collection facility received approval for a special-use permit to operate in a former Halliburton office and warehouse building on D Road.

The 58,275-square-foot building, which once symbolized the rise, then fall of oil and gas on the Western Slope after Halliburton laid off 178 employees in 2019, is now poised for a fresh start. 

The Grand Junction Planning Commission approved a conditional-use permit for the facility during its Feb. 11 meeting.

Naturita-based Bruin Waste, which has a Clifton location, 460 32 Road, and a Western Slope service area, will sort recyclable materials, including paper, plastics and metals, before shipping them to manufacturers for reuse while helping the Western Slope send less waste to local landfills.

The recycling-sorting operation will bring new purpose to the location.

The transition from a vacant Halliburton site to a recycling hub is seen as a positive development by the Planning Commission, particularly because it aligns with the city’s comprehensive-plan priority of repurposing existing sites.

“I just can’t see a downside with this particular usage,” Planning Commissioner Shanon Secrest said. 

The site, located at 3199 D Road with an additional entrance off 32 Road, was annexed to the city in 2006 and is zoned for light-industrial use. The new facility will utilize the existing infrastructure, including a warehouse and office space, to conduct its operations. The recycling center will operate from 7 a.m. to 4 or potentially 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, employing six to eight people.

The Planning Commission approved the facility with conditions to ensure its operations do not disrupt road traffic or the residential neighborhood to the north on the other side of D Road. These conditions include restrictions on outdoor storage and requirements that all operations be confined to the existing building, minimizing potential noise and traffic impacts on D Road or 32 Road to the east.

According to representatives from Bruin Waste, the site will be mostly automated and will not produce recycling waste itself because it ships all recyclables out on trucks to other parts of the country for processing. 

Bruin Waste collects recyclables from Mesa, Delta, Garfield, Montrose, San Miguel, Ouray, San Juan, Dolores, Montezuma and Archuleta counties.

With the new sorting facility, Bruin Waste can sort recyclables on the Western Slope instead of trucking them to Salt Lake City for sorting.

The company’s website says, “We collect a wide range of recyclable materials, including paper, cardboard, plastics and metals, helping to reduce landfill waste and conserve natural resources.”