Southern Oregon Sanitation

Southern Oregon Sanitation is a 60-year-old, family owned and operated business specializing in waste management systems. The firm’s key component is in residential waste. With 24,000 customers and the motto “Anything people want to get rid of, we want to be the solution,” the SOS team has not only established itself as the neighborhood garbage company, but also a pro-active business concerned about the environment. For example, the SOS management team has partnered with local businesses and organizations to promote safe and green waste systems. Partners include the DEQ, Rogue Waste and Southern Oregon Aspire, among others.

Over the years, SOS Sanitation has significantly increased its capacity to serve Josephine County and surrounding areas, including territories in Jackson County. The goal is to consistently develop approaches to waste management that are efficient, cost effective and sustainable.

In addition to solid waste, SOS handles medical, wood, commercial, industrial and yard debris waste. The company has also implemented an E-Cycle program for computer monitors and television screens, with improved systems and processes underway for electronic recycling and prescription drug waste solutions.

SOS Sanitation provides services in Eagle Point, Grants Pass, Kerby, Cave Junction and Murphy. Its two transfer stations are located in Grants Pass and Kerby. In December 2009, the Grants Pass transfer station opened to the public on weekends, saving citizens the drive to the Merlin transfer station.

In one year, SOS collected 15,000 tons of waste in Grants Pass, 9,000 in Eagle Point and 4,100 in Kerby. In addition, the company recycled more than 100,000 pounds of E-cycled materials.

SOS has 45 full-time employees, including management, office staff, drivers, mechanics and those providing service at the transfer stations.

The SOS management team and its Board of Directors consistently develop short and long-term strategies for waste management systems. The company has continually upgraded its transportation and logistics systems. Most recently, SOS has transitioned to front-end loaders for improved efficiency and better customer service.

History

In late December 1946, a youthful Harold Patrick Fahey made his way from a North Dakota farm to the Grants Pass region. He was on vacation, visiting his sister who had married Denny Gallagher, a former Army officer turned garbage business owner. Harold celebrated New Year’s Eve with the couple, then woke up at the crack of dawn to collect the neighborhood’s garbage with Denny. It was January 1st 1947 – the day Harold attached his destiny to the waste disposal industry.

Harold worked for Denny until 1948 when he was able to secure his own garbage collection route. Meanwhile, Harold’s biological brother introduced him to Birdena, his widowed sister-in-law. They quickly fell in love and were married shortly thereafter: Two brothers were then married to two sisters – a bond that lasted through decades of change.

With Denny operating Grants Pass Sanitation, Harold (or Pat as all his friends knew him), pioneered the more rural portions of Josephine County — working for Denny during the day and soliciting new customer after hours. On August 1st 1948, Pat left Grants Pass Sanitation to work full time as owner and sole employee of Pat’s Sanitary Service.

The Faheys worked long and hard by choice, purposefully investing their time and income back into the business. Though they experienced lean times early on, the couple kept their passion and their vision moving forward. As planned, the Faheys secured additional garbage collection territories, including Rogue River, Eagle Point and Cave Junction.

With every new acquisition, the Faheys increased their staff, improved their systems and continued transforming their ordinary garbage collection business into a waste management enterprise. The coupled worked as a team with their three children in tow. Rich, Patrick and Nanci unofficially worked for SOS from the time they could walk, learning the value of a dollar and the importance of good work ethics. All through their childhood, they were encouraged to pursue a higher education and become productive citizens who contribute to the well-being of a community.

Rich served in the Vietnam War until 1969 when he returned to the family business. Patrick left home to become a full-time student. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Southern Oregon University, then spent a short time at a CPA firm in San Francisco before returning to his roots at SOS. Nanci moved to Alaska with her husband and spent 18 years as a human resource manager before returning to Grants Pass and the business her parents founded.

Birdena passed away in 1985. The elder Pat continued full-time at SOS until the mid-1990s, and passed away in 2002. He was the founding member of the Oregon Association of Refuse & Recycling Hall of Fame.

Patrick continues to work for SOS. Rich and Nanci are retired.

Trash Service Basics

• All trash should be bagged, as much as possible.
• Wet grass or leaves should be bagged as they will jam the cart or freeze inside the container if loosely placed inside.
• Do not place large cardboard items in the cart as it will jam the cart and won’t let the trash slide out.
• Do not tie or strap the lid down on your cart. This keeps the trash from sliding out. If you are trying to keep animals out of the cart, please contact our office for some possible solutions.
• Do not place Needles, IV tubing with needles attached, scalpel blades, lancets, glass tubes and syringes out of their original sterile containers in the trash. This is very unsafe and these materials are required to be in certified Sharps containers. SOS offers these containers
• Do not put liquids in your cart. The cart is not intended for liquids and will cause issues with our machinery and spillage on the ground.
• Do not put Hazardous Waste in your cart. This is a serious violation. For more information about Household Hazardous Waste, please visit the Oregon DEQ website.
• Contact our office prior to your regularly scheduled pickup service if you have extra trash that will not fit into your trash cart. Place it into a plastic bag and set it 5 feet from your cart allowing clearance for the mechanical arm.
• We will not pickup extra trash unless you tell us that it is okay. Please note there is additional fees to pick up the extra bags.

Yard Debris Service

Southern Oregon Sanitation offers yard debris collection for our customers benefit and to help the recycling process. Yard Debris collected decreases tons of organic materials from going to the landfill. It also helps to recover and reuse natural resources.The organic materials collected at curbside makes great compost and bedding materials for gardens and landscaping projects.

DROP BOX INFORMATION

To order a drop box you will need to call our office. If you are in Grants Pass or Reedsport area call 541-479-5335 and for Eagle Point call 541-826-5691. Once you have called our office about your drop box. You can fax the release to our office in Grants Pass and Reedsport at 541-476-6083 or Eagle Point at 541-826-1854 or you can email it to Customer Service.

All drop boxes are paid for in advance and require a liability release. You can download our liability release by clicking on the prices page for the area you are interested in getting a drop box for.

Other Non-Accepted Items:

• Paper towels or tissue Bailing twine Bubble Wrap
• Food Plastic or Wood Furniture Buckets with metal handles
• Clothing PVC pipe Furnace Filters
• Waxed Cartons Clam Shell plastics
• No plastics accept the above
• Paper towels or tissue
• Bailing twine
• Bubble Wrap
• Food
• Plastic or Wood Furniture
• Buckets with metal handles
• Clothing PVC pipe
• Furnace Filters
• Waxed Cartons
• Clam Shell plastics