Onondaga County residents could end up paying more in fees or taxes for garbage collection under a state plan that aims to limit greenhouse gas emissions. There’s concern that parts of the Cap and Invest program are being unfairly applied.
At issue is the waste-to-energy facility in Jamesville operated by the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency. It incinerates 361,000 tons of waste per year, which is then turned into electricity that powers 30,000 homes. But OCRRA executive director Kevin Spillane said Cap and Invest identifies it as a commercial power generator.
“Our facility is basically owned and served to the community and our concern is that it's going to be treated like a private sector facility that generates electricity. They sell their electricity on the marketplace, they make it for profit," Spillane said. "We're not doing that. Our goal here is waste disposal and we generate energy from disposing that waste.”
Spillane says OCRRA and seven other waste-to-energy plant operators have created a coalition to share their concerns with state officials. He says they strongly support the effort to reduce harmful emissions, but want it clear this is about garbage disposal.
“We want to be kept in the waste market," Spillane said. "Landfills contribute about 78% of all those gases, where such a minor amount comes from waste-to-energy, about 7 percent. We're not asking to be exempted. We're just asking to be treated fairly and to be placed in the right category.”
Spillane said that could make a significant difference in the fees they pay for allowances of greenhouse gases. He says they range from $7 a ton to $23.
“That $7.00 is going to be then rolled down to the community when they pick up that garbage can at somebody's house," Spillane said. "It all of a sudden becomes a kitchen table issue. Am I going to pay for my food, pay for my rent, which we all know have skyrocketed over the last couple years, or am I going to be able to pay for my garbage bill?”
There are still plenty of questions about the rules included in Cap and Invest and who needs to comply. Governor Kathy Hochul did not fully roll out the program as expected in her executive budget, and there have been growing calls for her to release those details.
