Agenda - Council - 09/13/1982 - Special

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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 3O A special tax, or waste-generation tax, requires people to pay for refuse dis- posal in direct proportion to the amount of waste they generate. This tax would establish a base price for one garbage can and an additional sum for each can thereafter. The advantage of this ~ax is that people are charged directly for the amount of waste they generate. ~he problem with this type of tax is that it is difficult to calculate and administer. The problem is compounded by the fact that many odd-sized and shaped refuse items do not fit in-cans. Some items are bundled or placed in plastic bags. Nevertheless, the special tax should be considered because it makes people more aware of the amount of garbage they generate and serves as a basis to reward those people who reduce their waste or recycle. COMPENSATION There are various alternatives for financing measures to compensate individuals or host communities for predictable, intangible or uncertain impacts. Either the landfill developer or county could pay compensation to appropriate parties-- the actual mix of public and private funding depending on who owns and operates the facility. For example, when the city repairs the roads used by trucks going to and from a landfill, the county or facility developer could pay for those road repairs needed in addition to regular maintenance. Similarly, if tax revenues are lost to a local community because a public body owns the land, a cash payment could be paid by the county to the local community in lieu of tax revenues. The developer may also provide funds to the community to cover additional expenses for services rendered such as fire protection. Financing compensation for predictable impacts is similar to financing for mitigating measures. Intangible and uncertain impacts are best handled by a contingency fund. Under this arrangement, facility developers and operators, the counties.and waste generators would all contribute to such a fund. A contingency fund could be financed in part by the tipping fees described earlier. The size of the fund could be determined by the county or state laws. For example, if the fund reached a designated level after a few years, the tipping fees may be reduced or terminated. Another alternative would be to maintain .the fund indefinitely and use it as collateral to finance waste abatement activities in the local communities. The flexibility built into contingency funds financed by tipping fees is considerable, which makes it an attractive option to consider. The county may compensate host communities by providing additional funds or giving preference to projects that benefit the host community. The county, in cooperation with the PCA and local community, can establish an emergency response plan to handle explosions, spills or other serious incidents. Sudden-accident liability insurance is a responsibility of the facility owner to cover accidents during operations. Federal law requires the owner or oper- ator of a hazardous waste disposal facility to have liability insurance to cover accidental occurrences. The same kind of arrangement may be appropriate for operators of sanitary landfills. Even with such insurance coverage, how- ever, an aggrieved landowner would still have to prove the liability of a land- fill operator for damages, unless state law imposed strict liability on the operator for sudden accidents.