SPSA Urged to Talk With Private Haulers
By DEIRDRE FERNANDES
By Deirdre Fernandes
The Virginian-Pilot
Virginia beach
City Council members encouraged officials with the region’s trash agency to reach a compromise with private garbage collectors over tipping fees.
Private haulers are ready to accept some increase in their fees as long as the Southeastern Public Service Authority drops its push to dictate where all of the garbage in Hampton Roads goes for disposal, commonly called flow control.
“There’s some middle ground there, and I’m not sure you’ve looked at the middle ground,” Beach Vice Mayor Louis Jones told SPSA officials during Tuesday’s council meeting.
SPSA Executive Director John Hadfield said he was unaware that the private haulers were willing to have their $28-per-ton tipping fee increased. Hadfield said SPSA will discuss the rate changes with the companies.
Authority officials have backed flow control, saying it would create a fair system that charges the public and private industry the same tipping fees. Six of SPSA’s eight member communities have adopted the policy, with Virginia Beach and Suffolk still undecided.
SPSA’s contracts with the private haulers will expire Jan. 31. In those communities with flow control, the private companies would be charged $59 per ton, the same as the public sector, according to SPSA’s calculations.
Joel Rubin, who represents the private companies, said their rates shouldn’t be on par with the cities, because the services aren’t. The private haulers have discussed a 50 percent fee increase, which would bring their rates to about $42 per ton, Rubin said.
Both SPSA and the private haulers have been wooing Virginia Beach officials because the city is the largest community in the region, with a significant portion of the commercial waste.
Deirdre Fernandes, (757) 222-5121, deirdre.fernandes@ pilotonline.com
flow control
Six of SPSA’s eight member communities have adopted the policy, with Virginia Beach and Suffolk still undecided.
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