News & Events

Plan to raise fees at Apex landfill tabled
By SUMMER WALLACE-MINGER
(originally appeared in the Steubenville Herald Star)

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WINTERSVILLE — The Belmont-Jefferson Solid Waste Authority Board of Directors Monday tabled a motion to increase tipping fees the district collects at the Apex landfill outside Amsterdam.

At the March meeting, the board had passed a resolution to increase the fees from $1 for in-district garbage; $2 for in-state, but out-of-district garbage; and $1 for out-of-state garbage to $2, $4 and $2, respectively. Those amounts are the highest allowed by state law.

Authority Director Patrick Lanaghan had cautioned against the move during the March meeting, noting authority representatives already had been in negotiations with landfill officials to establish a schedule of increasing fees and had nearly reached a consensus. He also had added the process to increase the fees in such a manner was lengthy and might take several more months to increase the fees as compared to the fee schedule under negotiation.

Apex began limited operations in December and has been increasing the tonnage of garbage it receives by both rail and truck since January.

The increase would require the board to hold public hearings and to obtain agreement from the majority of the municipalities and townships in the district.

During Monday’s meeting, Belmont Commissioner Mark Thomas, board chair, who was not at the March meeting, said he was disappointed the board had not first heard the report from the committee formed to negotiate a contract with Apex before taking action.

“I was not here to say anything was railroaded through,” he said, adding the committee structure the board was trying to establish would not work if the board did not hear the recommendations of its committees before making a decision.

Thomas said he had been contacted earlier Monday by a representative from the landfill who inquired about directly speaking to the board. Thomas noted he had agreed to approach the board about the matter, but was offended landfill officials had waited until the last minute to seek an audience.

Several board members said the authority had been trying to negotiate a contract with Apex for approximately two and a half years. Board member John Abdalla said Apex had not been honest with the board in the past.

Board member Tom Bottorf said the resolution may have been an attempt to encourage Apex to come to an agreement with the board.

Samantha Carroll, Belmont County Recycling and Litter Prevention program director, urged the board members to consider tabling the motion until the May meeting, to give time for the negotiating committee to finalize a contract with the landfill and to allow Apex officials to speak before the board.

“Let’s at least hear what they have to say,” she said. “These are smart people and they are playing a game with us. I think they want us to do this (attempt to increase tipping fees).”

She added Apex is currently receiving 3,000 tons of garbage daily and the tentative agreement worked out between the authority and Apex representatives had allowed for the maximum fees to come into effect when the landfill began accepting 5,000 tons of garbage daily.

Lanaghan estimated that would happen in June. It was noted the authority may not be able to increase the fees for at least three months and the process may take until December.

The group tabled the motion, with the understanding it will be revisited unless a contract signed by Apex representatives was presented for the board’s approval at the May 8 meeting.

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