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Keizer council schedules public hearing after utilities group seeks 60—70% medical-waste disposal rate increase
Summary
Lawrence Sanitation and allied haulers told Keizer council that the closure of a local incinerator forced disposal and transport to more distant facilities, prompting a proposed 60—70% rise in commercial medical-waste fees; council directed staff to set a public hearing.
City staff and commercial haulers told the Keizer City Council that closing of a local incinerator (Covanta) has sharply increased costs to dispose of regulated medical waste, and the council agreed to schedule a public hearing for rate changes.
Adam Brown, Keizer—s city manager, introduced the item as a preview and said the city had been asked to authorize new disposal rates for medical-waste customers, a change that would affect businesses, clinics and other nonresidential accounts rather than curbside household garbage.
Sean Edmonds of Lawrence Sanitation and Kevin Hines, CEO of American Environmental Services (which handles collection and processing for parts of Marion County), said disposal previously routed to a nearby incinerator in Brooks cost roughly $85 per ton. Since that facility closed, disposal must be transported farther (to Idaho or Portland) and disposal costs plus transport have risen sharply. Hines said costs the group sees range up to a 60—70% increase over earlier rates.
Hines and Edmonds provided proposed fee changes the haulers have asked local governments to adopt; examples in Keizer discussed at the meeting were: - Low-volume (under 60 containers): 20-gallon container from $23 to $44.95; 35-gallon container from $26 to $48.95. - High-volume rates (per-container discounts): 20-gallon container from $17.50 to $33.35; 35-gallon container from $19.50 to $37.35.
Hines said Marion County and the city of Salem have already approved similar increases earlier in 2025; Marion County began absorbing the higher costs on Jan. 1, 2025, while Salem approved rate changes in March. Keizer staff said a public hearing would be required and that the earliest practical hearing date would be the council's first meeting in June (advertising and legal-notice requirements apply).
Council members asked how many Keizer businesses would be affected; staff and the haulers said the local customer base for medical-waste service is small (about 47 commercial customers in Keizer) but the service covers around 650 customers across Marion County. Councilors also asked whether a local company, BioClean Industries, which is developing an ozone-based treatment, could reduce costs if it comes online; haulers said BioClean may provide a local option later in 2025 but that the technology and contracts are not yet in service.
Council president Starr moved and the council seconded a motion to direct staff to schedule the public hearing and bring back the requested disposal rates for public testimony and consideration at a subsequent meeting. The motion passed unanimously.
Ending
The council directed staff to schedule a public hearing (first practical council meeting in June) and to advertise the proposed medical-waste disposal rates so the affected customers and public can testify.
