Ohio University could be forced to bid for a new recycling contract if legislation working its way through the Ohio Senate were to pass and alter the definition of “solid waste.”
Under the current law, solid waste includes recyclables and allows waste districts to use public funds to collect and process them. Senate Bill 290, introduced by Sen. Shannon Jones, R-7th, last month, would change that definition.
Under the current arrangement, the Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District collects and processes all of OU’s recycling. The change would force the district to use private companies to collect and process, which could cost the university more money.
OU holds a waste removal contract with Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District, said Harry Wyatt, director of facilities and management, declining to comment further.
The university paid $372,227.99 for its 2012 contract. In the past five years, the university has spent $2,469,852.52 on its recycling contracts.
As current legislature reads, waste district’s disposal fee revenue has 10 allowable uses, including funding community recycling programs and recycling drop off locations. Instead, the funding would prevent the solid-waste district from funding those programs.
“These rural parts of Ohio, they would have gigantic ramifications,” said Roger Bail, operations coordinator for the Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District.
“There’s density when you get to large populated areas, more tons per mile, more at less expense.”
The Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District services about 2,000 residents in Athens and Hocking County.
In areas that have more people in a smaller space, large trucks would be able to efficiently collect all the recyclables. Comparatively, smaller, rural areas are unable to offset the costs of the large trucks required to collect the recyclables.
If a county does not have two or more recycling entities, the solid-waste district will be able to offer recycling services, said Amanda Pratt, communications director for Rumpke Waste and Recycling.
Rumpke is one of the university’s local options, Pratt said.
“It forces everybody to be on a level playing field and be able to offer services, and helps it be able to make investments in new job opportunities and bring the greatest technology to the region easily and cost-effectively,” she added.
The bill, which is in committee, will not see any progress for at least a week, as the Ohio Senate is on its spring break, said Joshua Eck, a legislative aide for Sen. Troy Balderson, R-20th.
“Sen. Balderson is approaching the issue cautiously,” Eck said. “He understands the intentions of the bill, but he also realizes many local communities’ concerns with it. He doesn’t want to jeopardize any operations in the local community if they’re doing it effectively.”
sj950610@ohiou.edu
