Marion County Residents Will Pay More for Waste Disposal Services
SALEM, Ore. — Residents of the unincorporated areas of Marion County face an immediate increase in the cost of waste collection fees. This follows a decision to close a waste-to-energy facility which accepted medical waste that subsidized consumer costs.
Closure of Waste-to-Energy Facility Will Impact Medical, Law Enforcement and Homeless Encampments
While consumers are affected, the closure of Reworld will have a far-reaching impact on the community.
Commission chairman, Kevin Cameron, confirmed that the decision by the Legislature to shut down the waste-to-energy facility will have repercussions for medical facilities in the county that will have to pay more for medical waste removal.
He said law enforcement agencies across the state will now have to find other means to dispose of confiscated drugs and firearms. At present, law enforcement makes use of the facility at no cost.
Also affected are homeless encampments where waste is sometimes infectious.
More Stringent Legislature Could Have Prompted the Closure
Although there is no official reason for its closure, speculation is that the decision was sparked by Senate Bill 488, approved last year. The law added pollutants to the list that facilities must monitor in terms of federal law.
It also limits medical waste incineration to 18,000 tons annually, placing further pressure on waste-to-energy facilities to comply with regulations.
In testimony opposing the bill, Reworld told lawmakers that if the Marion County facility closed, Oregon healthcare providers would have to send medical waste to Kansas City, the closest facility, 1,800 miles away.
Marion County Residents Will Pay 2.5% More
The Marion County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday approved a 2.5% increase to the solid waste collection and disposal fee.
Brian May, Environmental Services Division Manager for the Department of Public Works said the consumer increase was calculated on the annual cost of the eight franchised haulers that provide the waste removal service in the county.
May said the county now faced a 70% increase for the removal and disposal of medical waste, leading to the increase from January 1 for residential collection services.
Takeaway
Reworld is the only medical waste incinerator on the West Coast of Oregon. The facility was established in the 1980s and processes 550 tons of waste every day – approximately 90% of the county’s garbage.
Sources & References
- Press Release from Marion County