City reaches agreement with waste-disposal companies

Two private waste-disposal companies have agreed to deliver a certain amount of waste to the Springfield landfill, establishing a steady source of funding to support the city's solid-waste management system.

The city's agreement is with Allied Services LLC and Waste Corp. of Missouri. Both already deliver waste to the Springfield Municipal Landfill, but the agreement would set an exact delivery amount that would stabilize the landfill's income, according to a city news release.

The agreement is the result of discussions that began in September, after the local Citizen's Solid Waste Committee recommended that the city reach a compromise with private haulers - an alternative to the city forcing haulers to deliver to its own landfill, as allowed by a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Under the agreement, Allied and Waste Corp. each have committed to deliver 175 tons of local solid waste per day to the landfill, starting July 1, 2010. The amount would increase 2 percent per year during the 10-year length of the agreement.

The agreement also says that any increases to the landfill tipping fee, currently at $28.65 per ton, would be restricted to annual adjustments based on increases in the construction cost index, with an annual cap of 10 percent, according to the release.

The city's landfill already receives about 250 tons per day from other local waste-disposal providers.

The agreement provides a dedicated and stable funding source to support the city's voter-approved Integrated Solid Waste Management System, the release said. The system includes the Household Chemical Collection Center, recycling drop-off sites, the Yardwaste Recycling Center, the market-development program and the public education program.

Springfield City Council is expected to hear first reading on the agreement at its March 9 meeting.