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Tipping fee increase helps DANC stop ongoing revenue loss at landfill [Watertown Daily Times, N.Y. :: ](Watertown Daily Times (NY) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) June 27--RODMAN -- A decision in 2013 to increase tipping fees charged to haulers dumping trash at the regional landfill here helped the Development Authority of the North Country stop an ongoing slide in revenue from collected waste, according to a recent audit report. In January 2013, the authority decided to increase tipping fees because of a decline in the tonnage of waste it collects. Landfill waste has declined, in part, because recycling has increased among residents and businesses across the landfill's service area in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. More recycling means less landfill trash. Those fee increases of $5 per ton helped the authority realize a slight increase in revenue during its fiscal year 2013-14, which ended March 31, according to an audit report by Bonadio & Co. LP, Pittsford. Compared with the previous year, revenue from tipping fees climbed by $91,390, or 1 percent, from $8,274,628 to $8,366,018. Findings from the audit were reported Thursday at DANC's board meeting. "If we hadn't had that $5 increase in our tipping fees, there would have been a noticeable impact to our budget and our ability to make investments in equipment and projects that we continue to have every year," said Richard R. LeClerc, solid waste management division manager for DANC. "It helped to offset some unavoidable increases in operational costs, such as increases related to staffing." Municipalities and trash haulers with solid waste contracts saw tipping fees jump from $39 to $44 in 2013, while fees for walk-in customers increased from $41 to $46. All other categories of waste also increased by $5 per ton, except for contaminated soil and asbestos. The amount of waste collected at the landfill has fallen steadily since 2006, reducing revenue from tipping fees. One of the main causes of the drop ironically has been a positive one -- a stronger campaign by DANC to promote recycling, Mr. LeClerc said. He said the national recession in 2008 also likely contributed to the decline in landfill waste; consumers began buying less merchandise, therefore throwing away less trash. Increased awareness among residents about recycling has been greatly boosted by DANC's marketing campaign and educational programs, Mr. LeClerc said. In 2013, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County partnered with DANC to hire a recycling and solid waste educator, Sayre S. Stevens, to promote recycling at schools and businesses. DANC also launched a 10-minute educational video last year on its website, available to schools, that explains the importance of recycling and how the regional landfill operates. "We have continued getting the word out so people understand the opportunities there are," Mr. LeClerc said. "Waste diversion efforts are reaping benefits, and it's fruitful as far as we're concerned. People are clearly more aware of the opportunities for recycling." Statistics on total waste collected at the landfill since 2011 reflect the trend of people increasingly choosing to recycle materials that they used to trash. From 2011 to 2012, overall waste received from Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties fell from 243,759 to 222,388 tons; in 2013, the figure dropped to 201,997 tons. In 2013, the total amount of recyclables collected across the three counties was 58,678 tons. Because DANC launched its program to more accurately track recyclables in 2013, comparable data from previous years are not available, Mr. LeClerc said. Though revenue from tipping fees is negatively affected by the trend in increased recycling, DANC ultimately benefits by extending the useful life of its landfill, Mr. LeClerc said. As recycling efforts increase across the region, so will the amount of time space will be available at the landfill to hold waste. By focusing its efforts on promoting recycling, DANC is focused on its long-term mission of making the landfill a sustainable operation, Mr. LeClerc said. "Our goal is not to move waste as fast as we can. That's not our model," he said. "Our revenue for tipping fees will likely continue to trend down, but the good news is the financial investment to create the facility in the first place was to use it for long-term, environmentally sustainable waste disposal." DANC now has plenty of room for waste, after completing an $8.3 million expansion in 2013 that added two storage cells. Those cells, both in operation, take up about 19 acres at the northern end of the landfill site. Along with tipping fees, another important revenue generator at the landfill has been an on-site gas-to-energy plant that uses methane gas produced by trash to create renewable energy. Methane from the landfill burns gas into electricity at the facility, operated by Innovative Energy Systems Inc., Oakfield. DANC benefits by selling electricity on the open market and reducing emissions that escape into the atmosphere. In fiscal year 2013-14, DANC's revenue from the gas-to-energy plant increased from the previous year by 37 percent, or $372,814, from $1,009,649 to $1,382,463, according to the audit report. The increase was driven mainly by favorable market conditions, which increased the value of renewable energy credits and electricity generated. ___ (c)2014 Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.) Visit Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.) at www.watertowndailytimes.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |