What is the current state disposal fee and how is that fee apportioned?
The state disposal fee is currently set at $1.50 per ton of waste received at the landfill. This is a charge over and above the tipping fee charged by the landfill for use of their landfill. Depending on the amount of waste received at the landfill, the landfill may keep $0.25 to $0.50 per ton (up to a total of $40,000) for use exclusively for capital improvements at the landfill (most landfills are using this to offset the cost of installation of truck scales at the landfill). Once the landfill has collected its $40,000, the disposal fee for that site will decrease to $1.25 per ton of waste received, and the landfill will be able to keep 12.5 cents per ton of waste received for administrative costs. Because the Solid Waste program in the DEQ receives no appropriations from the Legislature, the remainder of the fee is used by the DEQ to maintain and operate the Solid Waste program.
