Coastal Voices: Solid waste inquiry justified

Gerry Hemmingson

Let me take a step back in time and tell you how I got to this point. When I was elected to the Board of Supervisors over two years ago, I had a number of residents express their concerns about SWMA issues. Their concerns became my concerns, so I thought I would take a peek. Now, I have to tell you it was not the top priority on my list. That is why it has taken this long for me to get to this point.

In talking to some of my colleagues I was told that the SWMA was necessary because it assumed the liability of the old landfill site. In researching this issue with County Counsel, I found that not to be true. The liability of the landfill stays with the city and county for the next 25 plus years or so. Now, if the SWMA was completely responsible and took all of the liability of the old landfill, I probably wouldn’t be writing this. I would have been able to go back to my constituents and tell them that the SWMA has taken on a huge responsibility that relieves the city and county of liability, and that the SWMA’s responsibility now extends past the closing of the landfill. This is not the case.

Let me further say that my decision to form this ad hoc committee has come after well over a year and many meetings I have had with county counsel, the SWMA Director Kevin Hendrick and others. Kevin and I toured the old landfill site, the transfer station and had sit-down meetings going over job duties and the budget. Kevin was extremely cooperative and welcomed any inquiries and offered to help in any way. I am a little surprised at his reaction published in The Triplicate. He seems to be a little defensive about a public review of the SWMA.

Now, let me get to the concerns/questions of the people that I have talked to, as well as my own concerns about the Solid Waste Authority (SWMA). I know the newspaper, and maybe you as well, would like me to release the names of the people that came to me with questions about the SWA, but they did not want me to release their names. I will respect their wishes, as I would any of you who come to me with concerns and wanted to be kept anonymous. If those people want to come forward now or in the future that’s completely up to them.   

These are some of the questions that have been asked of me or issues the public has presented to me and I am putting them in the form of questions.

• Why is the SWMA still operating, I thought it was formed to close the landfill?

• Are the fees charged by the transfer station in line with other transfer stations?

• Is it true that Brookings fees are much less than ours, even though they haul their waste to the same landfill we do?

• Why does the prison haul its garbage to Brookings? Isn’t that a longer haul?

• What is the cost for the SWMA to oversee garbage collection?

• Why do SWMA Board members get $300 a meeting, even if they don’t attend, and $375 if they do attend?

• Why don’t we have mandatory garbage collection?

• Why don’t we have more, free hazardous waste collection days?

• What is our diversion rate?

• Why don’t we have better recycling collection?

• What is the dollar amount SWMA needs to have in reserve?

• Are the ratepayers going to have to subsidize a resource recovery park?

• Would it be less expensive for Del Norte Disposal customers if DND did not have to use the transfer station?

I do not have an ulterior motive or specific agenda other than looking into the need for the SWMA; however, if someone has heard or knows of an ulterior motive I’d like to hear it. I simply want to know if we need an entire government agency to oversee the transfer station and garbage collection. If we do, that’s fine. If we don’t, then what are our alternatives?

Those of you who don’t want to or don’t think we should look into the operations of the SWMA probably don’t think there was a need to look into the lending practices of the banking and mortgage institutions. Supervisor McClure’s analogy of my inquiry into SWMA was interesting but, I think misses the mark. She basically said I was looking at the upholstery and ignoring the engine. I think a better analogy would be, are we operating a Boeing 757 when all we need are a pair of roller skates?  

Since I was elected to this office my priorities have been to listen to the community, and work on issues that impact our community socially and economically. I will continue to do what I believe I was elected to do, look after the public’s interests.

Oh yeah, and I would like to take a closer look at the Solid Waste Management Authority. If you wanted me to sit back and rubber stamp everything that comes to the board and/or not look after what I think are our best interests, you elected the wrong guy.   

Gerry Hemmingsen is the District 4 Del Norte County supervisor.