OEC
claims that the National Solid Waste Management Association is
attempting to corner the market on waste/resources21 September 2011
The U.S. National Solid Waste Management Association (NSWMA) has reacted strongly to proposals made by Organic Energy Corporation (OEC) which is seeking permission from the City of Dallas to build a multimillion dollar recycling facility at the McCommas Bluff Landfill. (Full story HERE)
The root of the disagreement stems from the idea that the City of Dallas could introduce a 'flow control' to divert all of the city's waste to its own McCommas Bluff landfill site, at which OEC is proposing to develop a large scale recycling centre to separate thousands of tonnes of waste per day for re-marketing.
According to OEC, the City of Dallas is engaged in a debate over the city's plan to employ flow control to direct all residential and commercial waste to its own landfill as a means to enhance its recycling and energy recovery programs.
The NSWMA has labelled proposals for 'flow control' in Dallas as a 'ghost tax' in the form of higher the hauling and disposal fees that it said will result.
"Flow control would prevent commercial waste in Dallas from being equitably distributed and disposed of near the areas where it is created and in the most cost efficient manner possible," said Tom Brown, Texas Chapter Chairman of the National Solid Wastes Management Association.
However, OEC has hit back at the NSWMA, claiming that it uses 'flow control' itself with every exclusive franchise agreement it gets. OEC goes on to accuse the association of attempting to corner the market on waste/resources.
"They can use their landfill to price fix, intimidate small local haulers, and control the market. In fact, the NSWMA has recommended 'privatising' the Dallas Sanitation Department's collection and disposal operations in the form of an exclusive franchise agreement," said a recent OEC statement.
Claim and counter claim
Furthermore, the NSWMA has laid into references made by OEC to its Roseville, California facility, claiming that it charges a tipping fee that is more than triple the amount currently charged in Dallas and only recycles 26% of the waste stream.
"In addition, Dallas should be very careful about obligating its waste stream for 20 years," said Brown. "A wrong decision could tie the city up in court for years and put a complete stop to any recycling or economic development efforts."
The association is also unhappy about OEC's proposals only offer to share "profits" with the city, which it argues is not a guarantee of income, and adds that there are other options available that would provide income for the city more quickly, guarantee income, create job opportunities in Southern Dallas and would not be subject to years of costly litigation.
According to OEC, a threatening letter sent by NSWMA to the Mayor and the City highlights the association's "if you can't beat 'em, sue 'em" mantra.
Numbers
The association has also questioned the feasibility of constructing such a facility for the budget proposed by OEC.
"Based on Organic Energy's claims of processing capacity it would cost $400 million rather than $100 million to build the facilities with the capacity necessary to meet the targets described," Brown continues.
The NSWMA said that it is asking the city council to defer a decision on the flow control ghost tax and allow members to present other proposals that would generate the income the city needs in the short term and millions of dollars in additional cost savings over the next decades.
However, Barney Gorey, Public Affairs VP for OEC added: "There are approximately 5000 tons per day of commercial waste, that is rich in valuable recyclable resources, being needlessly buried in private landfills," before asking if the NSWMA itself has any new business or environmental ideas for the city's waste.
The U.S. National Solid Waste Management Association (NSWMA) has reacted strongly to proposals made by Organic Energy Corporation (OEC) which is seeking permission from the City of Dallas to build a multimillion dollar recycling facility at the McCommas Bluff Landfill. (Full story HERE)
The root of the disagreement stems from the idea that the City of Dallas could introduce a 'flow control' to divert all of the city's waste to its own McCommas Bluff landfill site, at which OEC is proposing to develop a large scale recycling centre to separate thousands of tonnes of waste per day for re-marketing.
According to OEC, the City of Dallas is engaged in a debate over the city's plan to employ flow control to direct all residential and commercial waste to its own landfill as a means to enhance its recycling and energy recovery programs.
The NSWMA has labelled proposals for 'flow control' in Dallas as a 'ghost tax' in the form of higher the hauling and disposal fees that it said will result.
"Flow control would prevent commercial waste in Dallas from being equitably distributed and disposed of near the areas where it is created and in the most cost efficient manner possible," said Tom Brown, Texas Chapter Chairman of the National Solid Wastes Management Association.
However, OEC has hit back at the NSWMA, claiming that it uses 'flow control' itself with every exclusive franchise agreement it gets. OEC goes on to accuse the association of attempting to corner the market on waste/resources.
"They can use their landfill to price fix, intimidate small local haulers, and control the market. In fact, the NSWMA has recommended 'privatising' the Dallas Sanitation Department's collection and disposal operations in the form of an exclusive franchise agreement," said a recent OEC statement.
Claim and counter claim
Furthermore, the NSWMA has laid into references made by OEC to its Roseville, California facility, claiming that it charges a tipping fee that is more than triple the amount currently charged in Dallas and only recycles 26% of the waste stream.
"In addition, Dallas should be very careful about obligating its waste stream for 20 years," said Brown. "A wrong decision could tie the city up in court for years and put a complete stop to any recycling or economic development efforts."
The association is also unhappy about OEC's proposals only offer to share "profits" with the city, which it argues is not a guarantee of income, and adds that there are other options available that would provide income for the city more quickly, guarantee income, create job opportunities in Southern Dallas and would not be subject to years of costly litigation.
According to OEC, a threatening letter sent by NSWMA to the Mayor and the City highlights the association's "if you can't beat 'em, sue 'em" mantra.
Numbers
The association has also questioned the feasibility of constructing such a facility for the budget proposed by OEC.
"Based on Organic Energy's claims of processing capacity it would cost $400 million rather than $100 million to build the facilities with the capacity necessary to meet the targets described," Brown continues.
The NSWMA said that it is asking the city council to defer a decision on the flow control ghost tax and allow members to present other proposals that would generate the income the city needs in the short term and millions of dollars in additional cost savings over the next decades.
However, Barney Gorey, Public Affairs VP for OEC added: "There are approximately 5000 tons per day of commercial waste, that is rich in valuable recyclable resources, being needlessly buried in private landfills," before asking if the NSWMA itself has any new business or environmental ideas for the city's waste.
Also Read
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New EPA Landfill Proposals Questioned by NSWMA
The NSWMA has submitted comments regarding the EPA's proposed amendments to the mandatory reporting of greenhouse gases
Waste Management Privatised in Malaysia
Malaysia's deputy prime minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has said that the privatisation of waste management will raise the quality of the service in the country.
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