County Supervisors to Hear Proposal, Public Input on Landfill Agreement

From Bay City News Service

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider approving an agreement regarding the development and operation of the Central Landfill and its four transfer stations.

Under the agreement, the county will retain ownership of its solid waste facilities and enter into a long-term operations contract with Republic Services of Arizona. Republic will find jobs for 15 of the 26 county employees who will be affected by the transfer of operations.

The county's cities, except Petaluma, will be requested to commit their waste to Republic Services for 20 years. Republic Services will provide $119 million for infrastructure development and construct a recycling facility.

The agreement also halts hauling of the county's waste to other Bay Area landfills, reducing truck traffic and greenhouse gas emissions, and implements a countywide commercial food diversion program that reduces organic waste into the landfill.

The Board will hear public comment on the Master Operations Agreement Tuesday, at their 8:30 a.m. meeting at 575 Administration Drive, and take final action on April 23. Follow this link for the complete agenda.

The county's goal is to divert 80 percent of all waste from disposal in the landfill on Meacham Road southeast of Cotati and north of Petaluma. The landfill was closed in 2005 because of groundwater contamination beneath a lining. The landfill has been operating on an interim basis since 2010, and the county's waste has been hauled to other landfills.

The Ratto Group of Companies, which includes the North Bay Corporation, will remain the county's primary waste hauler.

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