Cumberland No Longer Efficient in Waste Management
The Mayor of Amherst says a move to privatize the county dump is to head-off a dramatic increase in the cost of providing the service.
As spokesman for the Towns of Amherst, Oxford and the County of Cumberland, David Kogan says the county’s population is shrinking and aging, both of which will lead to more expensive per capita costs for the Little Forks landfill operation.
Speaking on Six Rivers Radio’s Morning Talk, Kogan says efficiency can only be secured through volume and the forecast for the county is shrinking, not growing. He said, “It’s becoming more of a high volume business and we won’t have the volume to make it viable and instead of an asset, it could become a very substantial liability.”
Responding to fears that private enterprise may simply raise the price, the mayor argued the price will definitely rise dramatically if the three municipalities keep operating the service. He hopes the efficiencies gained through a private operator could ensure rates do not rise in the foreseeable future and may, in fact, go down.
Kogan says the three municipal units are exploring options at this point, seeking proposals from interested companies. He suggested there may be three companies capable of handling the project.
The three-councils met in a special session last night, after months of meetings behind closed doors, and agreed to sell their interests in the Cumberland Joint Services Management Authority, including the landfill at Little Forks.
Kogan acknowledged new and more stringent environmental rules may be coming down the pike from the province and he suggested big private companies with flexibility beyond Cumberland County may be better equipped to respond.
Asked about what might happen to the county’s three transfer stations, Kogan was unsure but said they would be part of the on-going discussion which might include closure.
The mayor says the terms will be very detailed, even intricate, as the municipalities seek to ensure the best interests of local taxpayers and residents.
Interested parties will be expected to relieve the municipal units from any liability associated with the Little Forks operation, while maintaining competitive tipping rates, and possibly some long-term royalties for the local governments.
Existing jobs are to be protected.
The full interview with Mayor Kogan can be heard this afternoon at 2 pm and this evening at 8:00 on the daily replay of Morning Talk. Click HERE to listen.
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