Committee amends landfill fee: quarterly grants, lower late fee, cost placed on haulers rather than landfills

The Senate Finance Committee approved an amendment to proposed fees on municipal solid waste that changes how revenue is collected and distributed and reduces penalty amounts.

A committee member explained the amendment addresses three concerns with the underlying proposal for a $3.50-per-ton fee on solid waste entering landfills and waste-to-energy facilities. First, municipalities would be able to apply quarterly for grant reimbursements so they would not have to carry the full annual cost on their books for longer periods. Second, the late-payment penalty for a facility would be reduced from $25,000 per day to $1,000 per day. Third, the amendment changes the remittance structure so the haulers (generators/transporters) rather than the landfill operators would make the payments to the facility; the facilities would then aggregate funds and submit them quarterly for distribution.

The sponsor said the original proposal risked imposing costs on landfill operators who have long-term contracts and could not pass through fees, and that stakeholders warned some operators could lose more than $2,000,000 a year under the previous structure. The amendment is intended to place the statutory obligation on the generator/hauler and to mirror how other tax collections (for example, rooms and meals) are handled.

The committee approved the amendment by voice vote and moved on to other items.

Ending: The amendment was approved and the committee left one section on hold to finish final language in negotiation.