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Hauler competition, GFL contracts put pressure on Vernon County landfill tonnage and pricing
Summary
Local haulers and committee members told the joint meeting that contract-driven competition (notably from GFL and transfer stations) has reduced county tonnage by thousands of tons and that price competitiveness will determine whether volume returns after expansion.
Local haulers and operators told the committee competition from private firms and transfer-station arrangements has removed significant tonnage from the county's landfill and that price is the principal driver for municipal and commercial decisions.
"As long as the space is available and we can haul our stuff there and be welcome to bring it there, we'll continue bringing it there," said a hauler identified in the meeting as Mike from Big Hook (speaker 16). He said his company has researched alternative options but prefers to keep hauling to Vernon County if rates remain competitive.
Staff and committee members noted that past contracts and a new transfer station have reduced county tonnage from historical highs (one speaker and staff pointed to 20,000 tons in earlier years) to roughly 8,000 municipal tons in 2025; staff estimated GFL and other market moves account for a sizable portion of the lost volume. Committee members asked for clearer accounting of how much tonnage GFL currently removes and for revenue models that show tipping-fee sensitivity under different volume scenarios.
