Dump holes an unintended consequence
of charging for steel recycling
By Sharon Kivisto
posted 08/21/01
Damaged backhoe tires, dump holes on Orcas Island and reduced reuse opportunities -- are just some of the unintended consequences of the BOCC's recent decision to charge for recycling steel according to Solid Waste Advisory Committee members. "The policy shut off the stream of steel," said Solid Waste manager Jon Shannon. "Rather than collecting a significant revenue it stopped the stream."
Audience member Ian Harlow of Orcas Island said some people on Orcas Island are digging holes and burying steel instead of taking it to the transfer station. Neil Hansen, who is the recycling coordinator for the county has noticed more steel being dumped in with the garbage. He said people don't understand that steel is still being recycled. Or they just don't think the five cent difference in the cost of dumping garbage (11 cents per pound) vs steel is worth the trouble of sorting it.
The county started charging six cents per pound for steel on July 1. Commissioners John Evans and Darcie Nielsen voted to end free steel recycling due to concerns over the $70,000 to $80,000 it was costing the county annually to dispose of the steel.
Commissioner Rhea Miller opposed the fee. She preferred to tackle the overall problems with the county's solid waste operations be creating a taxing district for funding. She made a motion in August 14 to create a taxing district . Evan said the idea of a "trust fund from taxpayers to support solid waste was ridiculous." The motion did not pass.
SWAC member George Post submitted a letter to the BOCC July 24 detailing the problems the fee is causing the Exchange on Orcas Island. He wrote:
This presents a serious problem to the Exchange. Many of the items we accept are metal or have a significant metal component. We regularly accept things like table saws, lawn mowers, furniture, plumbing and electrical fixtures, small appliances, toys and sporting goods, fencing, gates, bicycles and wood stoves that may be whole or contain usable parts. We hold them until all or most of their value is reclaimed in some way and then separate the remaining metal to be recycled. Often it is the frame or chassis, the heavy part, that is left for recycling. If we have to pay $.06/lb for all of the metal we end up recycling, we will be forced to refuse many of the goods with metal in them that people bring to us for reuse. We will no longer be able to offer the broad range of goods that people have become accustomed to finding at the Eschange. Its a simple formula: The less we take in, the less we divert from the waste stream...In this attempt to solve the chronic solid waste budget situation, the county's most successful reuse program will be penalized and diminished.
Committee chair Carolyn deRoos noted the committee had not been asked for its advice before the BOCC made its decision. She read a statement at the July 17 BOCC meeting expressing the committee's concerns. She said: Our concern is that we believe there are additional factors which the members want to discuss, including the overall effect of a piecemeal approach to charging for recyclables... The members believe they volunteer their time willingly, and that they represent a broad range of community interests and concerns, and frankly, they were surprised that a major change in policy was not brought before the advisory committee for discussion and comment prior to adoption.
At their August 20 meeting, SWAC decided to ask the BOCC to approve an interim exemption for the steel recycling fee for non-profits that are an integral part of the county's solid waste program. The Exchange on Orcas and the Town of Friday Harbor's Thrift Shop are two such organizations. The committee will also ask the BOCC to review the policy at the end of this year.
Free steel recycling ends Sunday
posted 06/27/01
Chopping up junk vehicles and deposting the pieces in the free steel recycling bin will no longer be an option beginning Sunday (July 1). County Commissioners Darcie Nielsen and John Evans approved an end to free recycling of the metal yesterday (June 26). Residents will pay $.06 per pound ($120 per ton). Commissioner Rhea Miller opposed the move.
"I believe we are engaged in a policy of scapegoating recycling, " Miller said. "I really disagree, I think we'll seriously regret it." She would like the county to create a solid waste taxing district.
Nielsen said she was willing to look at the general fund to cover costs of recycling. Last year the county spent $275,000 for recycling. It received $52,500 for the sales of the recyclables for a net loss of $222,500. (See story below for more background information.)
"I'm not willing to lay off people in health or permits to cover recycling (costs)," said Evans. "Why would recycling be less of a heartfelt value if people had to pay a fee to do it?"
Is recycling too costly
for the county?
posted 06/19/01
Remember those math story problems from school. Try this one. Operate the county's Solid Waste Program in the black, provide no-cost recycling, repay $400,000 in debt and do it all without any funds for capital improvements needed to reduce the cost of operations. Finding an answer has proved impossible. After a heated debate Tuesday, June 19 the Board of County Commissioners may be ready to change the question.
Commissioner John Evans would take no-cost recycling out of the equation. "This thing is broken." he said. "It is bordering on malfeasance. We're still going in the wrong direction. We need to stop recycling or charge for it." He didn't favor increasing over all rates since San Juan County's garbage rates are more than twice as high as the next closest rates in the state.
Commissioner Rhea Miller is strongly opposed to eliminating recycling. She said, "I would entertain taking the solid waste program out of the enterprise system." As an enterprise fund, it must pay for itself. She favors consideration of a taxing district for solid waste.
Commissioner Darcie Nielsen noted county residents are committed to recycling due to concerns about the environment. "It needs to be taken out of enterprise and put into the general fund," she said.
Public Works Director Tom Huse told the commissioners, "It's hard to get to where we want to be because there is no way to capitalize." Since the BOCC has mandated the solid waste department must operate in the black, any capital improvement must pay for itself within the budget year.
Solid Waste manager Jon Shannon suggested ways to achieve significant savings in the recycling program during the monthly Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting June 18. The county paid $214,662.09 to San Juan Sanitation last year to move bins from Orcas and San Juan Islands to the baler located on Lopez Island. Most of the cost was for recyclables.
According to Shannon the county could save almost all of that cost by placing balers on Orcas and San Juan Islands. Two balers would cost about $120,000 ($60,000 each). A glass crusher could be purchased for San Juan Island for about $40,000.
So far this year the county has spent more than $65,000 to move recyclables to the baler. Almost $5,000 to move glass. See the roll-off cost chart for more details. Without funds to invest in the capital improvements the roll-off costs cannot be eliminated.
Other operating efficiencies could be more easily achieved if the BOCC allowed the managers (Huse and Shannon) to set the hours the transfer stations are open, Shannon said. He would like to change the hours in order to separate the commercial haulers from the self-haulers. "It is unconscionable to have the commercial haulers waiting in line behind 10 cars bringing in aluminum cans." Being open both Saturdays and Sundays, may result in a better traffic flow for the self-haulers he said.
In the past the BOCC has set the operating hours by resolution. Miller agreed to allow the mangers more flexibility. She suggested they would still be wise to run the hours by the board for feedback.
While no other decisions were made Tuesday, free steel recycling may end soon. People are cutting up cars and placing the pieces in the steel recycling pile -- an unanticipated consequence of the newly passed junk car ordinance according to Tom Huse. Both Nielsen and Evans expressed willingness to start charging for taking steel. Shannon told SWAC $80,000 could be saved by eliminating steel recycling.
SWAC is planning on holding a series of public meetings on the solid waste program in August. Recycling and hours of operation will be discussed. No times have been set yet.
|
