HomeMy WebLinkAbout102625 email - Comments Regarding RecyclingALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Dear Jefferson County Commissioners:
I am unable to attend the upcoming hearing on proposed changes to county recycling services, but I wish to submit my comments before you make your final decision.
As a Brinnon resident, I have witnessed the county's gradual reduction in waste services over the past five years. While I understand the legitimate frustrations that illegal dumping
and contamination present to county staff, I question whether the proposed solution—charging standard refuse rates for recycling in addition to the overhead of sorting and transfer
station access—aligns with the county's stated objective of preserving our community's "character."
Anyone driving through Jefferson County's rural areas can already observe the consequences of expensive and limited waste access: illegal dump sites visible from public roads or the
acrid smell of trash fires. These are not hypothetical future problems. They are present-day symptoms of inaccessible and expensive waste services. This is not the "character" we aim
to preserve.
The proposed changes risk accelerating this crisis, not solving it.
I urge the commissioners to consider that Washington's Recycling Reform Act fundamentally transforms our obligations in the near future. This legislation will standardize accepted materials,
mandate expanded recycling access, and, most importantly, shift cost burdens from counties to producers of recyclable materials. Those costs will ultimately flow through to consumers,
eliminating the hidden subsidy that benefits those who choose not to dispose of waste properly (and which is amplified by the county's inability to enforce current requirements.)
Rather than effectively abandoning our recycling programs now, which will likely exacerbate illegal dumping, I propose the county build a strategic bridge to RRA implementation:
1. Enhance enforcement capacity by adding sufficient staff at manned recycling stations to ensure compliance with existing requirements.
2. Hire a dedicated enforcement officer to investigate and prosecute illegal dumping, improper disposal practices, and violations at recycling facilities and on private property.
3. Institute a temporary tip fee surcharge to fund enforcement and cover contamination costs. This surcharge would sunset upon full RRA implementation.
It is never politically comfortable to acknowledge that we have long enjoyed subsidized services or that we have ignored the true costs of waste disposal. However, state law now establishes
clear mandates that Jefferson County must meet within the next few years.
I urge you to use this transition period to build the enforcement capacity and community discipline necessary for future success—not to retreat to approaches that have demonstrably failed.
The question before you is whether Jefferson County will lead responsibly into a new era of waste management, or whether we will compound our current problems with short-sighted cost-cutting.
Thank you for your consideration.
Robert Gash
Brinnon, WA