Tipping fees at landfills and fines for illegal dumping are going up in Kamloops.
Image Credit: WildSafe B.C.
July 30, 2014 - 8:18 AM
KAMLOOPS - If you bring a load of garbage to the landfill you will be looking at higher fees but it should have little impact on the average homeowner who has garbage picked up curb side.
Public Works Director Jen Fretz said the hope is increased fees will help divert waste, but it is also necessary to keep up with the rising cost of running a landfill.
“There are a number of other factors we need to consider,” Fretz said of charging homeowners on property tax bills. “But I wouldn’t see a substantial increase at this point.”
Mayor Peter Milobar said costs of garbage and collection are largely disregarded by the public.
“Garbage is thought of as free because out of sight is out of mind — but it’s not,” Milobar said. “The reality is garbage is incredibly expensive, and there’s no way to hide it.”
Milobar said he understood concerns of illegal dumping but that occurred even when there were no landfill fees.
The fee increase at the two city landfills — Mission Flats and Barnhartvale — will come in Jan. 1, 2015. A raise in fees at the Thompson-Nicola Regional District landfills came in to effect July 1.
In addition to increased tipping fees, a new structure will be given to the fees and fines will be increased to help address illegal dumping or disposal.
The new tipping fees will see municipal solid waste (household and office) go up to $80 per tonne from $60 per tonne. Demolition, land clearing and construction waste will increase to $160 per tonne from $60 per tonne. If separated, that drops to $100 per tonne.
Fines will be increased to between $500 to $10,000, up from the current range of $25 to $100.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014