BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
RAIFORD — New River Solid Waste Association board members approved the proposed budget for 2022-23 at their May 9 meeting.
On the revenue side, there will be another 50-cent increase in the tipping fees for Bradford, Union, Baker, Alachua and Levy counties in January, bringing the cost to $30 per ton. The landfill recently entered a separate agreement with Gilchrist County, which will pay $32 a ton. Out-of-region waste disposal will be $45 a ton.
Disposal rates were projected to be the same next year, bringing the total expected revenue to nearly $8.22 million. That’s an increase of $141,168.
Salary costs increased $56,000, as Director Perry Kent included a 5% raise for employees, which also translates into an increase in the cost of benefits.
Engineering cost for monitoring increased $7,500 to $77,500 because of additional reporting required next year. Phase II planning is going from the preliminary to master stage, so an additional $100,000 was budgeted.
Other contractual and operational costs did not increase.
The board must set aside other indirect costs, including escrow for long-term planning, depreciation, Phase II development, postemployment benefits, etc. The only change next year is the addition of around $63,000 in escrow to go toward the future cost of landfill closure.
Planned equipment purchases include a landfill compactor for more than $772,000. They plan to rebuild a 752 Caterpillar for $263,432.
In the end, the budget was balanced at $8.22 million.
Per usual, Bradford, Union and Baker counties will each receive $100,000 back from the association, and Union will receive an additional $100,000 for hosting the landfill.
Gas trucks leaving landfill
Trucks are leaving and returning to the landfill 24 hours a day, transporting renewable fuel to a natural gas pipeline near Yulee.
The landfill’s gas-to-energy project takes greenhouse gas from decomposition and cleans it so it can be used as natural gas.
Kent said it takes approximately five hours to fill a truck and two hours to drain it. This “virtual pipeline” is necessary until an actual pipeline is built to tie New River into existing pipeline infrastructure.
Prior to converting the greenhouse gas for natural gas use, the landfill simply had to burn it to prevent air pollution. Now the gas will make a profit for the landfill and Fortistar, which constructed the facility.
“We’re the first one to put it into a pipeline in the state of Florida,” Kent said.
A tour of the facility is planned for commissioners at the next association meeting. A formal ribbon cutting will be planned later.
Expansion being planned
Phase II master planning at the landfill is set to begin. The footprint will move from the initial site onto the additional acreage acquired from the state. Around 165 acres are available, but the planning project will begin collecting data on wetland and flood plains so some preliminary layouts for disposal cells, roads, etc. can be proposed.
The work will be the foundation for the comprehensive master plan approved next year.
Phase I of the landfill still has enough available capacity to continue disposal through 2027.
