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Trash woes in CW
(by Linda Dillman, staff writer - May 19, 2009)
Canal Winchester Mayor Mike Ebert said a potential change by the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) could force Waste Management and other waste collectors to haul to the Franklin County landfill instead of using company-owned landfills.
Speaking at the May 18 Canal Winchester Village Council meeting, Ebert said SWACO's intent is to raise revenue for the county landfill, which is falling behind previous levels. The move could put an agreement between the village and Waste Management in jeopardy since the village is the company's local host community.
According to Ebert, Waste Management pays Canal Winchester a set fee for every ton of waste delivered to the company's landfill and residents receive preferential rates of 50 percent or more compared with surrounding communities. If SWACO forces the change, the village could lose several hundred thousand dollars in revenue, Waste Management could cease local operations, and the income tax revenue from the company's 278 employees would vanish.
"SWACO is pretty adamant that they can do that and will do it if plan A (allowing out-of-district haulers use the landfill) falls through," said Ebert. "This is plan B (forced hauling within Franklin County). We're trying to set up meetings with the Franklin County Commissioners. We're not waiting to see if this blows over. When we went to them (SWACO) with our concerns, they didn't care. They weren't even looking at negotiating anything. Matt (Peoples) and I went to their annual Emerald Awards Banquet and meeting the next day and the explanation was still the same, claiming they had the legal rights to do whatever is necessary to keep their revenue at consistent levels as they see fit."
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