Turlock might return to Stanislaus landfill

The city has reached a tentative agreement to resume sending trash to Stanislaus County’s landfill and waste-to-energy plant.

The 10-year deal, up for a City Council vote next week, would reverse Turlock’s decision in 2013 to send its waste to a Merced County dump that has lower fees than Stanislaus.

The agreement would add slightly to customer rates but is worthwhile because of the benefits of keeping the waste in Stanislaus County, said Michael Cooke, director of municipal services for the city.

The bill now is $25.10 per month for residential service that includes a 32-gallon container for general waste and larger containers for material that can be recycled or composted. The city staff estimates that the bill would rise to $25.20 this year if the waste continued to go to Merced County or $25.47 if it stayed in Stanislaus.

More increases could be in the offing over the next four years to meet costs incurred by Turlock Scavenger, which collects the city’s garbage. The charges have not changed since 2003.

The Merced County landfill, off Highway 59 between the city of Merced and Snelling, charges less to garbage haulers than does Stanislaus’ dump and electricity plant near Crows Landing.

Cooke said the latter destination nonetheless is better because of extra services Stanislaus would provide, such as recycling and household hazardous waste collection. And by using the power plant, Turlock would get credit toward a state mandate to keep half of all waste out of landfills.

“We’re looking at the best interests of our ratepayers and Stanislaus County,” Cooke said. “Together, we came up with a good solution.”

Turlock’s switch to the Merced landfill complicated the operation of the power plant. It is a partnership of Stanislaus County and Modesto but also relies on trash from smaller cities to meet the minimum tonnage required by its operator, Covanta Energy.

Stanislaus has proposed new fees in an attempt to keep the trash flowing. Waterford and Hughson so far have agreed to deals, said Jami Aggers, the county’s director of environmental resources. All of the agreements need approval from the county Board of Supervisors.

The Turlock council, along with considering the county agreement, will talk about raising customer rates in five annual stages. They would reach an estimated $28.21 per month for a resident with a 32-gallon container by 2019, assuming use of the Stanislaus landfill and power plant.

Under state law, the increases could not go through if a majority of affected customers file protests at or before a hearing proposed for July 28.

This story was originally published April 24, 2015 at 2:20 PM with the headline "Turlock might return to Stanislaus landfill."