3/19/1986 - Laserfiche WebLink

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BOOK 63- F1ur 9U8 Commissioner Wodtke wanted their operating expenses and landfill dumping costs kept as separate issues. Chairman Scurlock opened the Public Hearing and asked if anyone wished to be heard in this matter. Gary Bruns, Gary's Septic Tank Service, noted.that the present charge for dumping septage at the Landfill is $5 a ton and the proposed rates would push the cost to $13 a ton. He wished to know how he is going to pass along such a substantial increase to his customers. Chairman Scurlock assumed that everybody else in the septic tank business will be paying the same dumping fees and the charges for pumping out septic tanks will become more expensive. Director Pinto pointed out that septage has been an expensive problem and it has been carried for quite some time. At one time he wanted to take septage out of the landfill entirely as it is a major problem, and he is surprised that we have been able to tolerate it for this long. He felt that if there is one rate that should be increased, it is septage. At some point soon we are going to have to treat septage instead of putting it into the landfill, and even after it goes through a treatment plant, disposal is a major problem. Mr. Bruns explained that the average cost for cleaning out a standard size septic tank is $65, but the proposed increases for dumping it at the Landfill would push it to approximately $150. Septic tanks shou-Id be pumped out every 3-5 years. Mr. Bruns asked what is to stop dumpers from St. Lucie County coming in and cleaning out local septic tanks for $65 and then going back and dumping it on a pasture, which apparently is allowed in St. Lucie County. Director Pinto explained that St. Lucie County refuses to take any septage into their landfill, and Michael Galanis of the Environmental Health Department speculated that St. Lucie County is dumping it wherever they can. The current State law, however, classifies septage as Class 3, the most hazardous type sludge, 23