COUNTYWIDE : Commercial Rates at Dumps Will Rise

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a rate increase at the county’s landfills for commercial trash haulers, but it decided not to raise fees for residents who just want to dump a carload of refuse.

Vicki Wilson, assistant director of the county’s Integrated Waste Management Department, said the rate increase for commercial haulers, which becomes effective July 1, is necessary in part because of stricter environmental requirements that have meant greater protection of ground-water sources and separate disposal of certain hazardous materials.

Also, she said, salaries and operating expenses for the landfills have increased.

During the 1990-91 fiscal year, the county’s landfills handled 3.9 million tons of trash.

The basic gate fee for commercial haulers will be $21.16 per ton, up from $17.75 per ton. The surcharge for handling household hazardous materials such as pesticides and used motor oil will increase to $1.59 per ton from 46 cents per ton.

Part of the added revenue will be used to build two landfills, one in South County and one near Irvine. Both are scheduled to open in the next fiscal year to handle such wastes.

The fee for individual vehicles will remain at $5. The county staff had recommended that the fee be doubled to $10.

Supervisors voted to keep the fee for residents the same after some members of the audience complained that a higher fee would keep some people from using the county landfill and would encourage them instead to dump trash onto private property.