Trash Woes in San Marcos Could Aid O.C. : Bankruptcy: Fees may rise at a north San Diego County dump, boosting Orange County’s bid to import garbage.

In a development that could help bankrupt Orange County’s plan to import trash for cash, San Diego County trash officials are planning to significantly raise dumping fees at one of their landfills because of budgetary concerns and a legal squabble.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors next week will consider increasing its dumping fee from $55 to $68.50 per ton at its San Marcos Landfill in north San Diego County.

San Diego County Spokesman Bob Lerner said the county is considering the hike in fees because it needs additional revenue flowing into its general fund and is being threatened with a lawsuit by the city of San Marcos and developer San Elijo Ranch Inc.

The proposed suit, of which San Diego officials received formal notice last week, would seek to have the county continue shredding waste before it is dumped in the San Marcos Landfill. County officials said waste shredding was erroneously thought to increase the life span of the landfill. Now, they want to stop the practice.

San Marcos City Manager Rick Gittings said the county had shredded waste out of environmental concerns, not to extend the life of the landfill. He said the city wants the county to continue the shredding because of environmental concerns.

If San Diego County raises its tipping fees--the sums it charges commercial trash haulers to use county dumps--Orange County officials may become more successful at luring haulers from San Diego County to Orange County landfills.

As part of its bankruptcy recovery plan, Orange County invited trash haulers from neighboring counties to bring their garbage here in hopes of earning tens of millions of dollars a year in additional revenue.

“I’m sorry that they’re having difficulties, but maybe this helps our program be more competitive. We’ll see how it shakes out,” Orange County Chief Executive Officer William J. Popejoy said. “It’s good news, but it’s not anything you can spend, it’s just something you can work toward achieving.”

Popejoy said he was confident that Orange County’s vast landfill space and state-of-the-art technology will lure trash not only from San Diego County, but from other areas.

Orange County trash officials declined comment on the development, saying that they didn’t know enough about San Diego County’s situation.

Orange County officials originally estimated that if they could import 6,000 tons of trash daily at $35 a ton, the county could raise $50 million to $70 million a year.

The Board of Supervisors in May approved a 54% hike in dumping fees to help the landfills offset operation costs. That move is expected to add $24 a year to the average household’s trash bill. The fees jumped from $22.75 a ton to $35 a ton this month.

Hopes for the “trash for cash” plan fizzled somewhat last month, when haulers showed little interest in trucking garbage into the county.

At that point, officials estimated they would only get about 1,000 tons of imported trash a day, but promised to continue negotiating with haulers for more.

Ironically, San Diego County had planned to lower its dumping fees to $42 per ton in response to Orange County’s importation plan. That reduction is now in jeopardy.

Popejoy expressed new confidence Thursday that the county would attract its maximum of 16,000 tons of imported trash a day.

“It won’t be weeks,” he cautioned, “but hopefully, in the next six months or so, it will be a real income producer.”

Gittings said San Marcos would be ready to dump in Orange County if San Diego County’s fee increase is approved.

“We would absolutely be interested,” he said.

* EX-COUNTY COUNSEL HIRED

Terry Andrus, who quit in the county bankruptcy’s wake, joins a law firm. B8