Sonoma County moves toward leasing landfill

Sonoma County supervisors took a significant step Tuesday toward leasing county landfill operations to a private company, unanimously voting to search nationwide for bidders.

They will have until Aug. 25 to step forward, and county officials expect to report their recommendation to supervisors sometime in the fall.

“I think this is our best option at this point,” said Supervisor Tim Smith.

Despite some opposition from local recyclers, compost company operators and environmentalists at a public hearing three weeks ago, supervisors decided Tuesday that the county has neither the financial resources to fix the landfill’s environmental problems nor the money to expand it. On Tuesday, only a few residents questioned how supervisors would determine the best bid and where profits would accrue.

Assistant County Administrator Jim Andersen said the nine cities are not compelled to bring their trash to the central dump or the four transfer stations in the county, which he said means the county has no guaranteed revenues to finance improvements.

“The short answer is that it is extremely expensive” for the county to operate the landfill,” Andersen said.

Large companies with nationwide experience at operating landfills are likely to be attracted to Sonoma County because “they have cash cows that generate profitability,” Anderson said.

Jay Jasperse, the county's project manager on landfill divestiture, said the county is seeking a 20-year operating agreement and wants city governments to make commitments on sending their trash to the landfill.

“Assuming we get enough cities on board and that we have successful bidders, is this the last, best way of getting us out of doing out-haul?” Supervisor Mike Reilly asked.

The landfill on Mecham Road has been closed to private trash haulers since October 2005 after state officials found that it was leaking contaminants into ground water. Currently, trash is being hauled to dumps outside of Sonoma County, a situation that has attracted critics who say it is environmental folly to put so many carbon-emitting trucks on the roadways.

County officials said reopening the landfill with county funds is out of reach.

Susan Klassen, deputy director of county public works, said it would take an infusion of $70 million to reopen the landfill and bring it in compliance with state environmental regulations as well as another $3 million annually to expand it.

“It is a challenging calculus to make,” said Supervisor Paul Kelley.

County officials began exploring landfill divestiture last November. They said transfer to a private operation would have to meet about a dozen criteria, including halting out-of-county trash hauling and prohibiting trash importing.