Solid waste agreement expected next month

Sat., Sept. 13, 2014

Valerie Putnam

After months of negotiation and debate, the future of Millwood’s solid waste management is close to being decided.

During Tuesday’s City Council meeting, City Attorney Brian Werst updated the council on the progress of an agreement to manage Millwood’s solid waste. The city has been negotiating with Spokane County since March.

Werst stated he expected an agreement to be presented at the October meeting for approval.

“We are still looking at some language under the county agreement,” he said. “One of concerns for the city … has been the effect of that agreement on Inland Empire Paper.”

Inland Empire Paper is owned by the Cowles Co., which also owns The Spokesman-Review.

Werst said the city met with the paper company last week to discuss the issue, and is considering seeking a revision to the flow control language, which outlines a system of solid waste disposal for all waste generated at designated disposal sites.

“These questions and concerns raised by IEP didn’t have to do with financial obligation but more from the management of their waste stream,” Mayor Kevin Freeman said. The burden of flow control would rest on the city.

The current transfer stations are not equipped to handle certain waste, including the industrial waste generated by Inland Empire Paper.

“Solid waste generated by any waste generator, IEP or otherwise, isn’t suitable for the flow control system and that liability potentially could flow back to the city as well as IEP,” Werst said about the county’s agreement. “We do have to address this with the county.”

Werst expressed concern that the county may not be open to revising the agreement

“The county has made it clear in various conversations that they’ve provided Millwood an interlocal agreement for solid waste that they felt was their last, best and final,” Werst said. “They felt they did things for Millwood that went above and beyond where certain members of the county might have wanted to take it.”

Earlier this year, the city was considering opting out of the countywide solid waste system. Werst said the city has not pursued that option because of unknown administrative costs.

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