By Clarence Cromwell
Newby Island Landfill might be the answer to Los Gatos' garbage disposal-fee disputes, said a consultant hired by West Valley cities--including Los Gatos--to compare Guadalupe Landfill's service to other nearby landfills. Switching from Guadalupe to Newby could save the municipalities more than $800,000, environmental consultant Michelle Yesney concluded.
After more than a year of trash-fee debate and litigation, Los Gatos is expected to approve the change of dumps at a July 15 meeting. The three other West Valley cities, Saratoga, Monte Sereno and Campbell, already decided to sign a contract with Newby Island.
For residential trash customers, the switch would bring lower rates. But the West Valley cities haven't yet determined what the exact amount of the savings will be in each community, said Vera Dahle-Lacaze, West Valley Cities Solid Waste program manager.
The savings will be produced by lower tipping fees and efficiency in emptying trucks.
Although trucks would drive a few minutes longer to get to the dump, near Dixon Landing Road in Milpitas, they'll also spend five minutes less emptying out, according to the study. The time savings added to Newby Island's proximity to the Green Valley's truck yard will mean that the trash carrier can complete its trash pickup with one less truck on duty each day.And the tipping fees at Newby Island are lower than Guadalupe.
The West Valley Cities usually negotiate together for rates and contracts, but they sign separately. That means Los Gatos could still send trash to Guadalupe.
Switching landfills won't affect the West Valley cities' contracts with the Green Valley Disposal Company, either. Although they are owned by the same parties, the contracts for trash pickup and dumping are separate.
Jesse Jack, an attorney representing Guadalupe Landfill, said the cities don't have any right to switch dumps. He's met with representatives of the cities to explain his client's position.
Jack said the cities can't switch dumps because they have previously defended their rights to the space inside the Guadalupe landfill; after fighting off other potential customers, Jack said, the cities are obligated to pay for the space.
Three West Valley city councils have dismissed assertions by the law firm Matteoni, Saxe & Nanda that the environmental assessment for the change of dumps was not thorough enough. Guadalupe claims that information about the maximum capacity of Newby Island isn't up to date.
Yesney, the consultant who performed the study, responded that the dump information was the most recent available; that there's plenty of room in the dump because it's accepting less trash than the maximum allowed now and that the study on potential pollution followed standards required by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
The West Valley cities proposed to break their 20-year contract with Guadalupe Landfill seven years early, after the dump sued all four cities in October 1995 for the right to charge higher fees. The cities said they should have been paying $37 a ton, about $10 less than the dump charges now.
A survey of trash dump rates showed that Newby Island Landfill charges $34 a ton.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, July 3, 1996.
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