MSW and C and D landfill tipping fees: 2006 solid waste management update [2006]

MSW and C&D Landfill Tipping Fees 2006 Solid Waste Management Update

Landfill tipping fees across Georgia remain competitive with other Southeastern states. Posted gate rate tipping fees have steadily risen in recent years, but the increasing amount of waste sent to Georgia for disposal indicates the actual contract prices per ton remain attractive to waste hauling companies, compared with our neighboring states.
Annually during the month of July, DCA conducts a phone survey of the landfills in the state to identify their posted "gate rate" tipping fee to calculate regional and statewide average disposal fees. Based upon these surveys, the average tipping fee for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the state remained basically flat, rising only slightly from $35.38 per ton in 2005 to $35.51 per ton in 2006. It should be noted that the fees reported represent an average of the posted gate rates charged by landfills throughout the state; actual prices paid are frequently lower, sometimes by more than half, depending on volume discounts offered to waste haulers, businesses, and local governments. Also, several large Atlanta landfills significantly increased their posted gate rates in an effort to dissuade customers with small loads.
DCA also tracks tipping fees for Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste. C&D tipping fees fell, from $30.21 per ton in 2005 to $22.09 per ton in 2006. This is possibly due to the increasingly common practice of MSW landfills dedicating a portion of their operation exclusively to C&D disposal, allowing them to charge rates more competitive with C&D landfills. The requirement to cover all waste daily is waived for C&D landfills, allowing them lower operational costs. Also, they do not have the expensive liner and monitoring requirements that MSW landfills must comply with.

GA MSW Landfill Tipping Fees 2006

2 1

3

5

Legend
$24.86 - $30.00 $30.01 - $35.00 $35.01 - $37.50 $37.51 - $47.28 $35.51 State average

4

7

6

8

9

12

10

11

GA C&D Landfill Tipping Fees 2006

2 1

3

5

Legend
$16.26 - $20.00 $20.01 - $25.00 $25.01 - $27.50 $27.51 - $34.38 $22.09 State average

4

7

6

8

9

12

10

11

Data Source: DCA - Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2006 Map prepared by: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, 2006

Data Source: DCA - Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2006 Map prepared by: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, 2006

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MSW and C&D Landfill Tipping Fees 2006 Update

Average Tipping Fees Paid at Georgia MSW Landfills

Region

Coosa Valley/North Georgia 1

Georgia Mountains

2

Atlanta Regional Commission 3

Chatt. Flint/McIntosh Trail

4

Northeast Georgia

5

Middle Georgia

6

Central Savannah River Area 7

Middle Flint/Lower Chatt.

8

Heart of Georgia-Altamaha

9

Southwest Georgia

10

South Georgia/Southeast Ga. 11

Coastal Georgia

12

McIntosh Trail

Middle Flint

North Georgia

Southeast Georgia

State of Georgia

2006 Average MSW
Tipping Fee $32.38 $37.26 $38.40 $31.90 $36.92 $26.01 $33.55 $35.43 $30.19 $24.86 $35.90 $47.13
$35.51

2005 Average MSW
Tipping Fee $32.48 $36.63 $40.77 $30.00 $36.63 $27.04 $32.79 $27.50 $29.10 $24.60 $31.39 $46.71 $31.71 $37.81 $31.00 $28.36 $35.38

2004 Average MSW
Tipping Fee $31.38 $33.07 $39.32 $30.00 $36.68 $27.00 $34.10 $27.50 $29.39 $24.60 $33.17 $41.61 $31.45 $36.02 $30.99 $28.83 $34.95

Average Tipping Fees Paid at Georgia C&D Landfills

Region

Coosa Valley/North Georgia

1

Georgia Mountains

2

Atlanta Regional Commission 3

Chatt. Flint/ McIntosh Trail

4

Northeast Georgia

5

Middle Georgia

6

Central Savannah River Area 7

Middle Flint/Lower Chatt.

8

Heart of Georgia-Altamaha

9

Southwest Georgia

10

South Georgia/Southeast Ga. 11

Coastal Georgia

12

McIntosh Trail

Middle Flint

North Georgia*

Southeast Georgia

State of Georgia

2006 Average
C&D Tipping Fee
$18.17 $31.20 $21.96 $27.49 $23.31 $16.26 $30.65 $24.38 $25.45 $16.50 $34.38 $14.65
$22.09

2005 Average 2004 Average

C&D

C&D

Tipping Fee Tipping Fee

$26.70 $29.99 $31.46 $27.36 $24.78 $21.64 $28.78 $25.00 $24.29 $22.24 $24.11 $31.34 $26.55 $22.50
$28.48 $30.21

$29.29 $21.45 $29.09 $27.67 $23.78 $23.89 $25.77 $27.50 $24.92 $17.92 $26.51 $29.39 $26.55 $31.00
$21.95 $28.14

*No landfills within this RDC reported charging a separate rate for C&D waste.

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MSW and C&D Landfill Tipping Fees 2006 Update

MSW Landfill Tipping Fees, 2005

North Georgia

Coosa Valley

Georgia Mountains

Atlanta Regional Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend
$20.00 - $24.99 $25.00 - $29.99 $30.00 - $34.99 $35.00 and above

Chattahoochee Flint McIntosh

Trail

Lower Chattahoochee

Middle Georgia

Central Savannah River Area

Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia
South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2005

C&D Landfill Tipping Fees, 2005

North Georgia Coosa Valley

Georgia Mountains

Atlanta Regional Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend
$20.00 or less $20.01 - $23.00 $23.01 - $27.00 $27.01 and above

Chattahoochee

Flint

McIntosh

Trail

Central Savannah River Area

Middle Georgia

Lower Chattahoochee
Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia

South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2005

MSW Landfill Tipping Fees, 2004

North Georgia

Coosa Valley

Georgia Mountains

Atlanta Regional Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend
$20.00 - $24.99 $25.00 - $29.99 $30.00 - $34.99 $35.00 and above

Chattahoochee Flint McIntosh Trail

Lower Chattahoochee

Middle Georgia

Central Savannah River Area

Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia
South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2004

C&D Landfill Tipping Fees, 2004

North Georgia Coosa Valley

Georgia Mountains

Atlanta Regional Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend
$20.00 or less $20.01 - $23.00 $23.01 - $27.00 $27.01 and above

Chattahoochee

Flint

McIntosh Trail

Central Savannah River Area

Middle Georgia

Lower Chattahoochee
Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia

South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2004

Calculating Weighted Average Tipping Fees
To account for tonnage disparities between large and small landfills, a weighted average tipping fee was used. If out-of-county residents or businesses were charged a higher rate than in-county customers, the higher rate was used. Tipping fees charged for MSW at transfer stations were excluded. When tipping fee rates were reported by volume rather than weight, a ratio of four cubic yards to one ton (4 CY: 1 ton) was used to approximate weight-based rates. Weighted averages were calculated for the area served by each RDC and for the state by multiplying the Average Daily Tons received at each facility (ADT) by the per-ton gate fee, divided by the total ADT for all landfill facilities within each RDC and within the state. The process was repeated for C&D landfills. To avoid double counting, Average Daily Tonnage was assigned to the MSW column for those facilities charging the same rate for MSW and C&D waste. Most facilities charge the same rate for C&D and MSW received, but a significant number do not. In these cases, the landfills were asked to provide an approximate ratio of MSW to C&D waste received. Weighted averages were calculated using the method described above, with the Average Daily Tons reported split accordingly between MSW and C&D. For facilities that reported receiving no C&D waste, their fees were not used in calculating average C&D fees. In all RDCs, this dropped the average C&D fee, in some cases resulting in no C&D average cost for certain RDCs.
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