San Juan Sanitation weighs in on solid waste fee | Letter

We will again see change in November of this year in solid waste with the outcome of Proposition No. 2. If the vote on this ballot is “No,” we will transition from a county-run transfer station system to a more privately run system, referred to as “Plan B.” This does not mean the end of self-haul, and it does not mean mandatory collection.

October 6, 2011 5:22 pm

San Juan Sanitation has been providing garbage and recycling services to residences and businesses in San Juan County for 45 years.  Over the years, we have seen many changes in the way solid waste and recycling is processed. San Juan County has changed from having a landfill on Orcas and an incinerator in Friday Harbor to transport off-island. We have seen a change to recycling many of the items that were formerly discarded, and later changes to the way the county handled recycling.  We have seen a robust re-use community develop on all islands.

We will again see change in November of this year in solid waste with the outcome of Proposition No. 2. If the vote on this ballot is “No,” we will transition from a county-run transfer station system to a more privately run system, referred to as “Plan B.”  This does not mean the end of self-haul, and it does not mean mandatory collection.  The Port of Lopez has indicated a strong willingness and desire to provide drop-off service on Lopez Island. Similarly, San Juan Sanitation is very interested in providing drop-off service on Orcas and San Juan Island. There is an obvious strong desire for this service to continue, and therefore a great opportunity for our company, and maybe other companies as well, to provide both drop off garbage and recycling drop-off.  With county cooperation, the service would be offered at the existing transfer sites, with regular hours of operation.  Both garbage and recycling would be offered, and services like steel and appliance recycling and construction material recycling are very likely to be added, pending county and Department of Ecology approval. Re-use opportunities and locations on all islands will remain the same.  Hazardous waste round-ups would continue to be offered and funded as they are now.

Privately run drop off service would address and respond to the needs of the community for “oversized” items as well as cans, both trash and recyclables.  Prices would be based on the cost of providing the service, and will need to be competitive with home pickup.

Calvin Den Hartog

San Juan Sanitation General Manager