MONROE - An offer by an independent waste collection company to use its solid waste transfer station could save the city about $2.60 per ton in trash disposal, plus some transportation costs.
But the offer raised some unanswered questions Tuesday for members of the Board of Public Works about the city's responsibility, obligations, equity and expenses in regard to the county's waste processing and recycling facility.
Veolia Environmental Services has its own transfer station on 7th Street West, where the company sorts and reloads solid waste, including recyclables, before transporting them out of the city to a final destination, normally the Green County landfill. But as of Dec. 26, the company started transporting its collected waste to a private landfill near Darian, according to the company's area manager George DeVries.
The offer was simply his company's way of "being a good neighbor," DeVries said.
"We're not looking to shut down (the) Green County (facility) in any way," he added.
The county facility's loss of business from Veolia, which handles about 30-35 tons of waste per day at its transfer station, is making a large impact on the facility financially.
The total amount of solid waste, including commercial, business and residential, from the City of Monroe makes up about 50 percent of Green County landfill business. Veolia handles a large amount of private commercial waste and the city's recycling.
The city owns equity in the county's solid waste facility, along with 14 other municipalities in the county. The mutual agreement to use the facility is what allows the facility to continue to operate, according to Nate Klassy, the facility's spokesperson. The county does not contribute tax money to the facility. Users fees are charged, and each member of the facility has fixed costs each year.
"The price per ton will have to go up if we lose Veolia, or we cut staff," Klassy said.
The Veolia transfer station was built as a recycling station, and not as a dumping site for transport, Klassy said.
"There would be some odor or flies, I would think," he said.
Klassy also cautioned the city that it is liable for its solid waste, particularly should a private company go out of business. However, DeVries noted that Veolia, like the Green County facility, must keep long-term closure funds to contend with environmental contamination.
The Board of Public Works did not take any action on the issue, and is expected to bring the items back to the table at a later meeting.
But the offer raised some unanswered questions Tuesday for members of the Board of Public Works about the city's responsibility, obligations, equity and expenses in regard to the county's waste processing and recycling facility.
Veolia Environmental Services has its own transfer station on 7th Street West, where the company sorts and reloads solid waste, including recyclables, before transporting them out of the city to a final destination, normally the Green County landfill. But as of Dec. 26, the company started transporting its collected waste to a private landfill near Darian, according to the company's area manager George DeVries.
The offer was simply his company's way of "being a good neighbor," DeVries said.
"We're not looking to shut down (the) Green County (facility) in any way," he added.
The county facility's loss of business from Veolia, which handles about 30-35 tons of waste per day at its transfer station, is making a large impact on the facility financially.
The total amount of solid waste, including commercial, business and residential, from the City of Monroe makes up about 50 percent of Green County landfill business. Veolia handles a large amount of private commercial waste and the city's recycling.
The city owns equity in the county's solid waste facility, along with 14 other municipalities in the county. The mutual agreement to use the facility is what allows the facility to continue to operate, according to Nate Klassy, the facility's spokesperson. The county does not contribute tax money to the facility. Users fees are charged, and each member of the facility has fixed costs each year.
"The price per ton will have to go up if we lose Veolia, or we cut staff," Klassy said.
The Veolia transfer station was built as a recycling station, and not as a dumping site for transport, Klassy said.
"There would be some odor or flies, I would think," he said.
Klassy also cautioned the city that it is liable for its solid waste, particularly should a private company go out of business. However, DeVries noted that Veolia, like the Green County facility, must keep long-term closure funds to contend with environmental contamination.
The Board of Public Works did not take any action on the issue, and is expected to bring the items back to the table at a later meeting.