The District of Squamish wants you to pay more for your trash.
The local government's current $80-per-tonne landfill tipping fee may be bumped up to $97. The current fee, which has been in place for 14 years, hasn't kept up with increased operating expenses, Squamish's general manager of engineering Brian Barnett told Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Nor does it set aside money for future capital costs or landfill closure expenses, despite provincial legislation that requires all municipalities to do so, he added.
"The intention is users pay in order to help conservation," Barnett said.
The district has just completed a new $2 million landfill upgrade that meets the Ministry of Environment standards. The life expectancy of the facility is estimated to be five to eight years, depending on recycling rates, population growth and garbage compaction rates.
The landfill operating contract is $575,00 per year, although the municipality hasn't undertaken a competitive bid process on those services for decades, according to the engineering and parks report. In addition to the operating costs, the district must set aside money for the eventual closure of the landfill, which district staff anticipate will come to $1.5 million.
Organizations, such as the Squamish Climate Action Network (Squamish CAN) and Squamish Re-Build, have helped residents reduce the amount of garbage they throw away, Barnett said. In 2009, Squamish residents generated .9 tonnes of waste per individual. This year that rate dropped to .68 tonnes.
Next year, district staff are planning to start a pilot project for the curbside pickup of yard waste. By 2015, the district aims to have reduced garbage to .6 tonnes per person.
As for Squamish's long-term waste disposal plan, the district plans to piggyback on Metro Vancouver's waste disposal programs, which are currently under review.
"We would be a drop in the bucket in terms of our waste stream," Barnett said.
The increased tipping fee has to come before council for final approval.
