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Cochise County solid‑waste fund posts modest surplus as ADEQ permitting costs rise
Summary
Public Works reported the landfill/swap operations were $218,000 in the black for the quarter, recycled about 2,000 tons for revenue, and face higher ADEQ permitting fees that could push tipping fees up.
Cochise County Public Works reported on solid‑waste operations at the Feb. 20 work session, saying the enterprise fund was running a modest surplus but faces new regulatory costs that could force a tipping‑fee increase.
Public Works Director Jason Fazio told the Board the county hauled roughly 2,000 tons of recyclable material out of its landfills last year — cardboard, steel, aluminum and copper — which generated revenue and helps blunt pressure on the tipping fee. "Last year, we hauled about 2,000 tons of material out of our landfill to either cardboard steel, aluminum, copper, or whatever that didn't get landfilled," Fazio said.
Financial snapshot and fees: Fazio said the solid‑waste operation was "in the black by $218,000" for the third quarter. He warned that new Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) permitting requirements enacted through agency rulemaking that began in January will increase costs. Fazio said the county currently pays $0.25 per ton on ADEQ charges at the landfill and that charge will rise to $0.58 per ton under the new rules; he estimated that change will remove roughly $60,000–$70,000 from the current surplus. The county’s current tipping fee was stated as $64 per ton.
Regulatory and operational impacts: Fazio said ADEQ permitting changes and other permit costs will be discussed with the county’s rate review advisory board and could require raising tipping fees to maintain the fund. He also described hazardous‑waste challenges: lithium and other batteries occasionally cause landfill fires, and staff isolate suspect wastes and send them to hazardous‑waste facilities. "We just had, basically a meeting with ADEQ on this to find out what the best practices are," Fazio said. He recommended that consumers return rechargeable batteries to retailers with take‑back programs when possible.
Transfer station work and recycling revenue: Fazio said $200,000 per year is set aside for transfer station improvements and that recent work includes repair contracts and door replacements at the Douglas station. He confirmed small transfer stations — for example Dragoon — charge $7 per pickup and operate at a loss due to trucking and handling costs; those sites are supported in part by general fund money.
Ending: County staff plan to review rates with the advisory board and return with options; supervisors were briefed on the operational constraints that limit using solid‑waste revenues outside the special revenue fund.
