Landfill study could cost up to $80,000

It could cost up to $80,000 to look at what’s going into the city’s landfill and where it’s coming from.

It could cost up to $80,000 to look at what’s going into the city’s landfill and where it’s coming from.

City staff have recommended council move ahead on a bylaw to amend the city’s capital budget for the year to accommodate the proposed Waste Composition Study.

The study would examine what is coming in from the curbside collection programs through audits in the summer and fall as well as what nearby communities are bringing in, with the landfill now a regional facility.

It would be funded with $40,000 the city had originally budgeted for the project from its portion of the federal gas tax funding and another $40,000 from the Yukon government.

Originally, the city had planned to spend $60,000 on the study, until the territory wanted in on it.

A report to council, presented by director of operations Brian Crist last Monday, noted the territory’s involvement in the study stems from the agreement the two levels of government have for neighbouring communities to bring their waste to Whitehorse.

“Because of this, the Yukon government saw the value of the waste composition study, and agreed to share the costs of the study so that the solid waste coming from communities outside Whitehorse would be included,” reads Crist’s report.

The territory’s involvement to include rural communities brought the cost of the project up to $80,000, but with the Yukon government’s offer to pony up half, the cost to the city through the federal gas tax revenue program came down by $20,000, to $40,000.

“As the Son of War Eagle Landfill is now a regional landfill, the support of the Yukon government in this project is crucial,” Crist noted in his report.

“The information and analysis from the study will be shared with the Yukon government to assist in solid waste management in the communities outside Whitehorse.

“This will also help the city and the Yukon government align their strategies and diversion efforts at the Son of War Eagle Landfill.”

At last week’s meeting, Coun. Ranj Pillai wondered how the study would impact future agreements the city and Yukon government might have for the waste from other communities to be brought to Whitehorse.

“I just don’t want to see a study thrown back in our face,” Pillai said.

With the territory now involved, he added, he’s not so sure the city would be the “driver” of the study.

Crist assured him that the city is, indeed, driving the study though it will share the cost with the territory.

“It’s our composition study,” he said, though Pillai went on to state again he didn’t want to see the study used against the city in future negotiations with the territory.

Council will vote tonight on the funding change for the study.

Coun. Doug Graham was absent from last Monday’s meeting.