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Plant flags rising chemical costs and potential landfill tipping-fee increase
Summary
Plant staff told owners chemical purchases have increased and several POs are nearing exhaustion; a county landfill notified the plant it may raise tipping fees, and owners asked staff to follow up.
Plant staff told the joint owners that chemical costs and usage are rising and that prior encumbrances are close to exhaustion, requiring further funds before year‑end.
The business manager reported that chemicals are encumbered and that plant purchasing will come close to using the current POs: "those POs that encumbered the funds are close to being used up and will need to be adjusted before the end of the year," she said. Plant staff noted one chemical — ferric chloride — increased substantially in a prior year and drove up the chemicals line.
On sludge and waste disposal, staff said the county landfill notified the plant it had been undercharging and indicated rates could increase (plants previously paid around $40 per ton; the county referenced a $50 figure). Plant staff said no new charge has been applied yet, and owners asked staff to confirm and report the expected tipping fee change and whether the landfill has a special rate class for this waste stream.
Owners prompted staff to encumber major chemical purchases early and to present updated encumbrance figures. Staff said methanol bids were due soon and that the plant planned to encumber major chemical POs to avoid mid‑year shortfalls.
