Stevens County board approves amended hauler license, OKs disposal-rate increases amid new state landfill rules

The Stevens County Board of Commissioners on a voice vote approved an amended county hauler license that would require demolition debris to be delivered to Stevens County facilities and authorized increases to local garbage-disposal fees to cover higher tipping charges expected in 2026.

County presenter (Speaker 3) told the board that state rulemaking under consideration would require demolition landfills to install liners, collect leachate, erect caps and carry financial assurance for future closure and mitigation. “The problem with arsenic, manganese, boron, and other, like we just have signs of vinyl chloride at our demolition landfill,” Speaker 3 said, adding that required leachate collection and hauling to wastewater treatment plants could be expensive and may strain local treatment capacity.

The board approved the solid-waste committee's recommendation to raise disposal-related rates and send a letter to neighboring operators informing them of the licensing change. The presenter cited contractor notices of disposal-fee increases that will take effect Jan. 1, 2026, and recommended adjustments to monthly customer charges. Materials presented in the meeting show sample changes to monthly charges: city residential service rising from $9.82 to $9.87, rural residential from $12.89 to $13.14, and a customer/commercial rate indicated as moving from $44.90 to $47.40. Meeting materials and discussion contained some garbled figures for per-ton disposal changes; the board limited its reporting in the motion to the adjustments recommended by the solid-waste committee and approved them by voice vote.

Commissioners questioned how the license would be enforced if haulers tried to route demolition waste outside the county or used drop boxes to avoid county facilities. Speaker 3 said enforcement would begin with the county office and escalate to the county attorney if a hauler failed to comply; the application includes revocation language for noncompliance. The board discussed the county landfill's remaining capacity: a 2024 survey was cited showing roughly six-and-a-half years of capacity remaining under current fill rates, and the existing permit runs through Sept. 2028.

The board also approved a motion to prepare and send a letter to a named neighboring landfill operator to clarify the amended hauler-license requirements. The amended license and rate changes take effect as administered by county staff. No separate roll-call vote or member-level tally was recorded in the meeting transcript.

Next steps: county staff will prepare the formal letter to the neighboring operator as directed and implement the approved rate changes and administrative license amendments.