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Grant County residents urge commissioners to keep disposal dropboxes open

SAM FLETCHER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 11 months AGO
by SAM FLETCHER
Staff Writer | February 24, 2021 1:00 AM

When Grant County commissioners had a virtual public comment hearing Tuesday, 17 residents almost unanimously urged to keep Mattawa and Coulee City’s disposal dropboxes open, but officials aren’t sure how to pay for them.

Nearly two decades ago, when the 25-year Solid Waste Master Plan was created, there were 15 dropboxes across the county, Public Works Director Sam Castro said. Since then, 13 have closed, leaving Mattawa and Coulee City the last two.

The main factor is cost, Castro said. The Coulee City dropbox lost more than $16.5 thousand dollars in 2019 and more than $23.5 thousand in 2020. The Mattawa dropbox lost more than $15,500 in 2019 and more than $26,000 in 2020.

Even the increased tipping fee of $49.33 per ton, effective March 1, will not come close to making the dropboxes break even. According to public works data, for the drop boxes to be worth the expense, it would cost $258.71 per ton in Coulee City $205.22 per ton in Mattawa.

“We support the community and have supported the community with these dropboxes,” Castro said. “However, we haven’t collected enough revenue to offset the expenditures, and that’s why we’ve done an adjustment.”

Further, Castro said, over 60% of waste is collected curbside. For everyone in the county, there are alternative options available.

This leaves the Board of County Commissioners three options, said District Three Commissioner Cindy Carter: close the dropboxes, as recommended by the Solid Waste Advisory Committee; keep them open with an increased fee; or have city governments take over the transfer stations and transport the waste to another county.

Carter started Tuesday’s meeting by shuffling through a stack of over 50 letters she’s received. All but two are in favor of keeping the dropboxes open.

Almost all in the attendance voiced their concerns of the inconvenience of driving to Ephrata to deliver trash.

“I’m a bird hunter, spent a lot of time hiking along the Columbia and the Coulee, and so much garbage is dumped,” said Desert Aire resident Fred Green. “There’s going to be a significant portion of the population that is not going to take a two-hour round-trip for a dump, and we’re just going to see a whole bunch more illegal dumping in and around public land.”

James Curdy, another Desert Aire resident, echoed this sentiment.

“Garbage production isn’t going to go away. It’s just where will it end up and how will it get to that proper location in the end?” he said.

Curbside pickup is difficult for the added waste accumulated from south county events, said Desert Aire resident Joice Trantino. Further, some folks can afford monthly drops but not weekly pickup.

Of the two letters in support of closing the dropboxes, one came from Consolidated Disposal Services General Manager Mark Walsh.

“There are services available for every square inch of this county,” he said.

To those concerned about curbside pickup, not including recycling or being otherwise inadequate, he added, “I would encourage the commissioners to talk to waste management and ask them to see if they can provide those types of services in their collection area. More than likely they’re willing to do so.”

At meeting’s end, Carter acknowledged the seeming consensus.

“Keep it open. That’s kind of been the cry we’ve heard,” she said. “We will work toward keeping it open and finding a solution to make it happen.”

While no promises were made, commissioners agreed to meet and discuss options. A final decision will take longer than 90 days, said Rob Jones, District Two Commissioner.

Sam Fletcher can be reached via email at sfletcher@columbiabasinherald.com.

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