There are still some kinks to work out before the new $6 charge begins at the Foothills dump.
As of Sept. 1, the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George facility will begin charging a fee for users with small loads of garbage weighing less than 100 kilograms. Regional district directors approved the new fee during their board meeting Thursday afternoon.
However those residents in Salmon Valley who will receive a swipe card to cover their landfill trips have yet to be determined.
The community is one of the only ones in the regional district not serviced by a transfer station and residents have no reasonable access to waste disposal other than the Foothills landfill, according to regional district staff.
Environmental services manager Petra Wildauer said staff are still working on establishing a map of eligible households.
"Unfortunately local area A isn't as straightforward as some of the other local areas - it gives us some grief. As soon as we have that sorted out, a report will go to the board and all the technicalities will be sorted out and the residents will be informed... we will keep everybody that needs to be in the loop, in the loop," she said.
The money from the fee will be applied to operating costs for the landfill, which is the biggest solid waste operation in the regional district.
The new fee is being introduced as measure to ensure those who use the landfill frequently are paying more for the privilege rather than being subsidized by everyone else, said environment and parks committee chair Terry Burgess.
"It is also part of a waste reductions strategy to provide an incentive for residents to generate less waste," he said.
Staff expect there to be an adjustment period after implementing the fee, which will be charged as vehicles leave the landfill. During peak hours staff will be assigned to deal with the outbound traffic to help move things along.
According to information from regional district spokesperson Renee McCloskey, residents are encouraged to save time by sorting recyclables out of their loads and perhaps taking them to other recycling depots. Avoiding peak hours if coming to drop off compost is also recommended.
While there hasn't been a significant rise in illegal dumping in other areas with a similar charge, the regional district said it's working with the conservation office and Ministry of the Environment on an awareness campaign to draw additional attention to the issue.
