Sturgis Rally Generates Tons of Trash

STURGIS, S.D. (AP) — The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally generates a lot of fun and excitement ... and a lot of trash.

Sturgis Public Works employees pick up an average of 55 tons of garbage for 10 consecutive days during rally time. Combined with trash from major privately run camps and other rally venues, the total surpasses 4 million pounds.

Public Works Director Rick Bush tells the Rapid City Journal the city supplements its trash-collecting force with staffers from other city departments during the rally. They take all the garbage to the Belle Fourche landfill.

Bush says rally-goers wake up to clean facilities, but it take a lot of nighttime work to make it that way. He calls it "the untold story of the rally."