Transfer station will keep county in control
Dear Editor,
The method of disposal of waste within our county presents us with a very serious problem. Because of new regulations by the Department of Natural Resources and the fact that we are running out of land space at our present site, the county is facing serious problems for which there are no easy answers.
Your Landfill Commission has visited several of our neighboring counties’ landfills, including Madison, Union, Decatur Counties, and other landfills around the state in attempts to determine how best to resolve our problems with our waste. The Commission has reached the conclusion that a transfer station such as the ones in Union and Adair Counties would be the best solution for all taxpayers.
A transfer station is a building where solid waste is deposited on the floor within a steel building. The waste is then loaded in a semi-type large truck and hauled to a landfill facility that would give us the lowest bid. One such location would be the Polk County Landfill where they have offered to receive it at $15.50 a ton.
With a transfer station, we would not be locked into any one landfill. We could always take the waste to whatever landfill is willing to give us the lowest bid. The transfer station would be located at the present landfill site.
With the current reduction in the cost of steel, the Commission believes that a transfer station could be built for around $500,000. It should be kept in mind that we presently have the land, scales, scale office and household hazardous waste facilities in place.
The City of Osceola feels that the best solution to our waste problem would be to totally shut down our present landfill and direct-haul all of our waste to the Madison County Landfill which is approximately 64 miles round-trip.
Madison County has agreed to allow us to dump at an initial cost of $24 a ton, however, this amount is subject to increase solely at their discretion. We would also have to pay the additional cost of transporting waste to a landfill 30 plus miles away and we would have no say in what the charges will be.
Finally, the Madison County Landfill requires a buy-in cost of over $600,000, which would be paid at the rate of $13 a ton brought across their scales from Clarke County. The total present cost would then be $24 a ton, plus $13 a ton, plus the cost of transportation.
When we shut down our landfill, the IDNR will require us to place on deposit the amount of $1 million, which would be held over the next 30 years for closure costs. The Commission presently has $400,000, which means that we would have to come up with another $600,000. Where is that money to come from? Only if we operate a transfer station, can we recover the money through the tipping fee.
Clarke County is seeking to attract businesses into our county. What business would want to come here if they have to haul their waste to Madison County? Also, if we shut down our landfill, where are the citizens of Osceola and the rest of the county going to go with their waste, which they can’t place for curb pickup? Will they drive to Madison County or to a ditch out in the county somewhere? What will that do for the environment and what about the cost to the taxpayers to clean it up?
The recycle bins in Murray, Osceola and Woodburn have been placed there for use by the entire County and are furnished by our Landfill Commission. There can be no doubt that with the closing of our local landfill, the use of these bins also have to come to pass unless a transfer station is operated on the site.
There is also the matter of community pride. Under the plan proposed plan by Osceola city leaders, we would be totally at the mercy of the Madison County Landfill with absolutely no vote or say concerning our waste. A transfer station would leave our county in control.
These are the major reasons the Commission concluded that a transfer station is the best option. The Commission wishes that it could sit down and negotiate this matter with the City of Osceola and get it resolved, however, it refuses to do so. The city administrator will not return any phone calls and the city attorney has refused to answer any letters or communicate in any form with the attorney for the Landfill Commission. As a result, everything concerning resolving this matter has to be done through attorneys at a very high cost.
Don Reasoner, Chairman, Clarke County Landfill Commission
