MORRISBURG – The Municipality of South Dundas is moving towards a full user pay system at its Matilda landfill site.
What that means is that anyone who takes anything to the dump is going to pay more.
South Dundas director of environmental services Danielle Watson presented council with a draft list of proposed tipping fee increases at the August 10th meeting. The proposal doubles the minimum charge from $5 to $10.
Watson said that this $10 charge is an infrastructure charge and that landfill users will have to pay this charge, plus the cost of whatever they are disposing of.
Anyone going to the dump with an eight foot trailer load of household garbage under the new fee schedule will pay $30 to dispose of it at the landfill. Under the current system they are charged $15.
The new fee schedule also charges much more for construction waste.
With the implementation of a new construction waste surcharge, if that same eight foot trailer is full of construction waste the charge to dispose of it at the Matilda Landfill will be $100, a marked increase from the present $15 charge.
A full draft fee schedule for all the different vehicle/waste scenarios is available online.
Fees to dispose of appliances with refrigerant will increase by $15 over the current rate and there are specific charges to dispose of mattresses or box-springs and furniture such as couches/chairs/recliners.
“I’m the one that started this,” said South Dundas councillor Lloyd Wells. “But it’s gotta pay for itself. Some increases are pretty steep but at the end of the day we have to get our money back.”
“I don’t think we can try to soften the blow any more,” said South Dundas councillor Archie Mellan.
“These prices are not outrageous,” said South Dundas councillor Donald Lewis.
“Landfill is expensive,” said South Dundas deputy mayor Kirsten Gardner. She added that she also wants to see an aggressive education program and diversion days.
“I hope we don’t see an increase in roadside dumping,” said Gardner.
“The fees are the right way to go,” said South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds. “The increases are reasonable and justified.”
The new fees will come into effect after council approves the bylaw which will come back to them at their next regular meeting in September.
