A new law which would prohibit garbage collected in Whitman County from being hauled for initial disposal outside of the county borders will be voted on by county commissioners next week.
The “flow control” ordinance has been proposed by the county’s solid waste department, headed by Public Works Director Mark Storey.
A public hearing on the ordinance was conducted by commissioners Monday morning.
Empire Disposal submitted a letter asking commissioners reject the ordinance.
“We feel that it is not necessary to adopt the ordinance at this time and doing so will inhibit our and other’s ability to create innovative and flexible transportation, diversion, recycling and disposal options for our customers in the county,” wrote David Patterson, district manager for Empire.
Storey said the ordinance is common in counties throughout the state and “codifies” what is an already standing county policy.
Matt Henry, general manager of Republic Services of Seattle, agreed in his company’s letter in support of the proposed ordinance.
“Developing facilities for the transfer of solid waste is no small investment, and a flow control ordinance allows funding stability that would not otherwise exist,” he wrote.
Storey said requiring waste generated in Whitman County be disposed of in Whitman County would ensure a stable source of funding to repay improvements being made at the county’s Carrothers Road landfill and transfer station.
Work began earlier this year on a new $2.3 million transfer station that will increase the county’s trash processing capacity.
The new building is planned to have separate drops for residential and commercial dumpers and a separate road and load-out station for loading long haul trucks that take away the county’s trash.
In March, the county awarded Republic the contract to haul its trash to a landfill in Roosevelt, canceling its long-time deal with Waste Management, for whom Empire hauled the trash to an Arlington, Ore., landfill.
The haul to Roosevelt goes via the Spokane Valley where county loads are transferred to railroads.
The move dropped hauling costs from $68 a ton to Waste Management to about $53 a ton and is estimated to save the county nearly $400,000 a year.
Commissioners delayed a vote on the proposed ordinance Monday.
They were advised by consulting attorney Susan Drummond of Seattle that they needed to approve a findings of fact document, which commissioners directed Storey prepare in advance of a vote this coming Monday.
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