Topics
Regional solid waste system
Summary
Establishing a garbage democracy in Spokane County may prove as difficult as bringing representative government to Afghanistan.
City officials had shown little interest in Spokane County commissioners’ call for transferring control of the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System to a health-district-style coalition. But on Feb. 3, 2011, a group of regional officials including Spokane Mayor Mary Verner tentatively agreed to form such a coalition.
The city would continue to own the Waste-to-Energy Plant and transfer stations in Spokane Valley and Colbert – as guaranteed by current contracts. But the new solid waste system wouldn’t be obligated to use Spokane’s facilities or services.
A host of thorny details are to be worked out by a committee, but the basic framework is a regional board with authority to contract with Spokane or any other service provider.
Contracts that created the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System call for the city to retain ownership of the Waste-to-Energy Plant even though county ratepayers helped pay for it.
Wheelabrator Spokane’s contract to operate the plant expires Nov. 16, 2011. It says Wheelabrator may take over another company’s winning bid – leaving other companies little incentive to bid.
The chance of three-year extension of Wheelabrator Spokane’s contract to operate the Waste-to-Energy Plant is an open question. The proposed extension would remove contract terms that discourage other operators from bidding in the future, but would require $18 million worth of plant improvements.
Under the new regional system, every member government will have a seat on the board of directors. Voting is to be weighted in some fashion, perhaps by the amount of garbage residents contribute.
If Spokane chooses to join the system, as owners of the Waste-to-Energy Plant it could be a service vendor as well as a voting member.
More information
Latest updates in this topic
Does Spokane’s Waste-to-Energy Plant fit into the city’s climate goals?
When Spokane’s Waste-to-Energy Plant was built in 1991, officials argued its construction was essential to stop harmful chemicals from aging landfills from entering the aquifer.
Report: Spokane’s greenhouse gas emissions changed little from 2017 to 2019
While this compares favorably to statewide emissions, which rose 7% during the same period, some climate experts worry it doesn’t show enough progress to meet ambitious reduction goals by the …
EPA suggests removing Spokane’s northside landfill from list of priority Superfund sites
The EPA says that levels of harmful chemicals once discovered in the groundwater beneath a city landfill northwest of Spokane have fallen to levels that no longer pose a threat …
Mixed materials: Garbage in the recycling is messing up the industry
On the concrete floor of Inland Empire Paper sat a 1,500-pound bale of waste paper ready to be recycled into new paper. The bale came from a modern single-stream recycling …
Spokane pays $36,300 fine to state regulators following Waste-to-Energy Plant incident
The city and the Washington Department of Labor and Industries negotiated a settlement that lessens the fine to the city for safety violations found following the incident Oct. 4, 2016, …
Spokane considers burning sewer sludge after outcry over fertilizer use
A study expected to be finished by the end of the year will explore the possibility of incinerating the solid material left over at the city’s waste water treatment plant …
Overtime glut: Spokane City employees earned nearly $12 million after hours last year
The amount was the highest its been in the past five years, which city officials attributed to retirements, labor contract requirements and other demands of the job.
Avista agrees to buy power from Spokane’s trash incinerator for 5 more years
The city has been selling the extra energy produced at its Waste-to-Energy plant on the West Plains since it opened in 1991. A change in state law requiring utilities to …
Spokane appeals findings, fine in Waste-to-Energy Plant investigation
The city has provided additional materials to the Department of Labor & Industries and hopes to receive a revised report by the end of next month, Public Works Director Scott …
Spokane fined $59,400 for safety failures at Waste-to-Energy plant after workers burned
The Washington Department of Labor and Industries released a report Friday citing Spokane with 10 serious safety code violations, including a failure to train and properly equip employees working inside …
City, county officials eyeing rate hikes for garbage disposal
Spokane County officials have proposed a 3.5 percent increase in rates to dispose of garbage at the county’s two transfer stations in Colbert and Spokane Valley.
Spokane’s recycled glass ends up in area landfill, due to lack of interested buyers
With traditional markets such as bottling companies and fiberglass manufacturers either inundated by product or going out of business, Spokane’s recycling collectors have turned to an area landfill to bed …
Antarctic waste, football helmets, mattresses all incinerated in Spokane
Spokane’s Waste-to-Energy burns a variety of waste from all over the world. In addition to confiscated drugs and guns it’s the final resting place for recalled Ikea furniture, 50 old …
California firm chosen to investigate Waste-to-Energy incident that critically injured two workers
The same firm that investigated the death of a city maintenance worker at the wastewater treatment plant in 2004 will look into the events leading to a boiler accident at …
Burned city workers only witnesses to accident in Waste-to-Energy boiler
Public Works Director Scott Simmons told City Council members this week there’s no recording of what happened in a boiler at the Waste-to-Energy Plant. Two men were critically burned in …
Employee burned in industrial accident at Spokane’s Waste-to-Energy Plant upgraded to serious condition
Craig Law, 39, an employee who was burned in an industrial accident at Spokane’s Waste-to-Energy Plant on Tuesday has been upgraded to serious condition and is breathing on his own …
Waste-to-Energy Plant workers burned Tuesday identified; both still critical
Two workers burned in an industrial accident Tuesday morning at Spokane’s Waste-to-Energy Plant were still in critical condition Wednesday morning, a city spokeswoman said.
Two city workers hospitalized in Seattle after being burned at Spokane Waste-to-Energy Plant
Two workers were taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center after they were burned in an incident at the city’s Waste to Energy plant on Geiger Boulevard.
Opinions from past provide perspective
Editorials covered the fight against poverty, city-county consolidation, and an anti-gay rights initiative in Idaho.
Spokane’s Waste-to-Energy Plant under scrutiny for greenhouse gas emissions
Spokane’s waste-to-energy plants ranks among Washington’s top emitters of greenhouse gases, releasing about 105,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Washington state working on new rules for major polluters
Washington’s largest polluters would have to start cutting their carbon emissions by 2017, but those who can’t meet the goals could buy “credits” from those who do better than required, …
City collects 3,000 tons of storm debris
Spokane waste site accepted 3,000 tons of windstorm debris, according to a city press release.
23,500 Spokane County residents face 10 percent garbage rate hike
Private contractor Waste Management is asking thousands of Spokane County residents to pay about 10 percent more for trash collection beginning next year, a move that has some city and …
Though out of regional system, Cheney will use Waste-to-Energy
The city of Cheney, which opted out of the Spokane County regional trash system, is opting back in to a major part of it. This summer, Cheney became only the …
Investigators: Acid did not spark waste plant fire
Investigators now believe a suspicious acid call and a fire at a solid waste plant last week were coincidental.
Suspicious acid linked to fire at Waste-to-Energy Plant
Discovery of a suspicious acid collected by a city garbage truck that prompted a Wednesday morning shutdown of city streets in north Spokane has been linked to a small fire …
Investigators: Waste plant fire may be tied to acid in truck
Investigators believe a small fire at the Waste to Energy facility near Spokane International Airport was tied to a call earlier in the day of a bubbling acid in the …
Bakery draws line, achieves 100 percent landfill-free status
It’s barbecue season, so workers and conveyor systems at Franz Bakery whirled at a frantic pace Thursday to package thousands of hamburger buns. One byproduct was missing: production waste.
Spokane to take over Waste-to-Energy Plant operations
The company that has operated Spokane’s electricity-producing trash incinerator on the West Plains for more than two decades is getting a pink slip. Wheelabrator Technologies Inc. was advised Wednesday by …
Spokane officials, seeing change in near future, study incinerator takeover
City leaders want to know if government could do a better job running Spokane’s energy-producing trash incinerator. With potentially major changes coming over the next few years in how and …
Spokane cedes control of solid waste system to county
The Spokane City Council on Monday did something that seemed almost unthinkable a decade ago: It gave up control of the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System. In a unanimous vote, …
Spin Control: It was a partisan week at the Legislature – everyone for the Seahawks
OLYMPIA – By this evening, we will know the most important fact for navigating the next two weeks in the Legislature. That is, are the Seattle Seahawks going to the …