Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Solid‑waste contract, tipping fees and new state surcharge add pressure to Merrimack’s budget
Summary
Town staff told the council that Waste Management’s contract ends this year, tipping fees and special‑waste costs have risen, and a new $3.50-per‑ton state surcharge (effective Jan. 1, 2026) will be charged at the landfill; municipalities can seek quarterly reimbursement from NHDES but private haulers cannot.
MERRIMACK — Town staff told the council Jan. 14 the town’s solid‑waste contract with Waste Management ends this budget year and officials will begin negotiating terms for the next contract.
Pat, the transfer‑station presenter, said commercial demolition traffic has dropped since the council raised local tipping fees and that staff are checking incoming loads to confirm material originates in Merrimack. “We’ve been able to actually foil quite a few people that said they were working in town. It turned out that they weren’t,” Pat said, adding that outside haulers that dump non‑Merrimack loads can lose transfer‑station privileges and face fines up to $500.
Paul, the town manager, said the state enacted a landfill surcharge that started Jan. 1, 2026, of about $3.50 per ton. Municipalities may be eligible to reclaim the surcharge through quarterly reimbursement requests to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, while private haulers are not reimbursed. Paul said staff will begin submitting quarterly invoices to NHDES to recover the town’s share.
Officials also noted that single‑stream recycling has become more expensive in the current market — commodity prices for materials such as glass and some fiber have dropped — and the town’s recycling lines sometimes cost more than hauling mixed waste. The presenter said the budget contains roughly $42,000 for landfill monitoring and that future PFAS‑related testing requirements could increase lab costs.
Town officials said the public can expect negotiation meetings with WM and cautioned residents that changes to contract timing (WM’s fiscal year runs January–December) and commodity pricing can shift costs mid‑fiscal year.
