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Solid Waste Flow Control An Option For County

MAYVILLE — Solid waste in Chautauqua County may soon have only one final destination: the county landfill.

The county audit and control committee discussed the possibility of a solid waste flow control law, which would designate that all residents and commercial haulers dispose of their solid waste only in the county landfill.

County attorney Steve Abdella presented the idea to the committee on Thursday morning.

“Flow control, if the county were to move forward with it, would require that any solid waste produced within the boundaries of Chautauqua County would have to be processed and disposed of at the county landfill and transfer stations,” Abdella said. “If there were another landfill created within the county, they would not be able to accept waste from within the county. They could still accept waste from outside the county, but they could not accept waste from within the county.”

Abdella said most residents and entities in the county generally bring solid waste to the county landfill. He said the measure would just confirm that it is a requirement.

“There are a lot of reasons for it,” Abdella said. “One would be the county, through its elected officials representing the taxpayers, has decided we want a solid waste management system. The state requires every county to have a solid waste management plan, and included in the activities of the county that are supported by the landfill revenue stream, it is more than just the landfill itself.”

Abdella said there are household hazardous waste programs, educational programs and other programs that are supported by the landfill operations. He said the revenue also pays for the closed landfills that exist.

Committee Chairman Pierre Chagnon said he is in favor of the proposal, but pointed out it is a “double-edged sword.” Chagnon said it could insulate the county from fair and legitimate competition. If the proposal should become law, Chagnon said it would be the legislature’s responsibility to make sure rates at the landfill remain fair.

New committee member Terry Niebel, R-Dunkirk, agreed with Chagnon.

“It kind of creates a monopoly for us,” Niebel said, adding that fair competition isn’t always a bad thing.

Abdella said a draft of the proposal could be put before legislators in February or March. He said he brought it up to the committee to get feedback. The law, if adopted, could potentially impact the proposed reopening and expansion of the landfill in the town of Carroll. Sealand Waste LLC has submitted an application to the state Department of Environmental Conservation to reopen and expand the Jones-Carroll Landfill on Dodge Road. The landfill would be used for construction and demolition debris. Abdella said the landfill, if reopened, would only be able to accept waste from outside Chautauqua County.

James Daigler of Daigler Engineering, a firm hired by Sealand Waste, said the possibility of a solid waste flow control law would not impede the landfill in the town of Carroll, should it re-open. However, Daigler said the county would basically be forcing its constituents and businesses to pay more.

Daigler said Sealand would charge Chautauqua County residents $30 per ton, while the 2018 fee for scaled construction and demolition waste at the county landfill is $50 per ton with a $25 minimum charge, according to the 2018 residential disposal rates chart.

“If that’s what they want to do, they can do it,” Daigler said. “It’s not going to stop this facility.”

However, Daigler said his client, Sealand Waste, would prefer the law not be put in place. Daigler added that entities and individuals with construction and demolition debris would not bring it to the county landfill, but would more than likely bring it to Sealand instead due to the lower rates.

Daigler said there has been a lot of misinformation spread about the possible impacts of the reopening of the landfill in Carroll, but an upcoming meeting on Feb. 7 is where the record will be “set straight” he said. The meeting will be held at the Frewsburg High School auditorium at 6 p.m.

In other news, County Finance Director Kitty Crow reported that less than 50 percent of insurance enrollees had switched from preferred provider organization plan to a high deductible plan. The figure was not yet final.

The legislature recently approved a one-year contract extension for the Civil Service Employees Association which included an incentive to switch plans for county employees.

Nazzaro said the figure was concerning.

“I’m disappointed that more did not go from the PPO to the high deductible plan,” Nazzaro said. “Now, we could have a potential budget gap we will have to make up.”

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