OJAI : Changes Sought in Landfill Selection
The Ojai City Council has voted to ask county officials to allow more competition in the selection of landfills.
The council Tuesday authorized a letter to the Ventura Regional Sanitation District and the Ventura County Waste Commission asking that they seek alternatives to Waste Management Inc. as a landfill operator and to Weldon Canyon as a proposed dump site.
Waste Management Inc. has filed a proposal with county planners to operate a new landfill in the canyon, eight miles south of Ojai.
The site, which Waste Management leases, is considered one of the top five locations for a new landfill in western Ventura County.
Clint Whitney, general manager of the sanitation district, received a draft copy of the letter and said Tuesday that it is a “very thoughtful and well-constructed letter based on real solid principles.”
New county policies should assure that private landfill operators face a competitive process before being allowed to operate, he said.
He added, however, that he wasn’t sure if it would be appropriate to reverse policies that have applied to Weldon Canyon and Waste Management Inc.
“I don’t know if something like that could be applied retroactively,” he said.
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