"The state is the community of all people living in that state. We are the state. This applies at least to a democracy. In order to organize a functioning society, the state needs public goods. Schools, universities, public transport, utilities etc. In this context, it is interesting to see what is going on with privatization. Privatization originates from the latin word, "privare," which means "to deprive." In the process of privatization, public goods are bought by private investors. Sometimes they even receive them as a present. This is nothing else than depriving society of public goods. You can sum it up as follows: Society is deprived of a certain good, that the private investor is interested in for reasons of profit. -Herman Scheer German Bundestag"
For months, Putnam County residents have been alarmed about the attempt to privatize the Landfill Operations of the Putnam County Sanitation Department. The deal will sale off 340 acres to a private Waste Management Company, who in turn would pay a leasing fee to the County for usage. This issue was of little importance to my Putnam County family, until we discovered the Palatka Wastewater and Treatment Plant was dumping leachate water directly into sewers in our neighborhood. The need for answers or simple information became preeminent.
The question of why County Landfill Workers, were dumping this leachate water in manholes in North Palatka was only silenced when County Officials stated it was "perfectly legal."The interests of Putnam County Commissioners in the safety of their citizens and the environment seemed to be taking a backseat to the larger issue, which exposed the bids for privatization of public Putnam County Landfills.
Putnam County Commissioners were accepting bids for the privatization of their public landfills to specifically avoid a mandate by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to remediate the County landfills which have been contaminating local groundwater sources. Putnam County Officials are also seeking to avoid US EPA sanctions on their landfill methane gas emissions. The current County landfills do not satisfy US EPA requirements and are without the Leachate collection system and liners like most modern Landfill systems.
To remediate the cost of modernizing the County Landfills, County Administrators are accepting bids to sell 340 of the County's 1,200 acre landfill. Which, ultimately is a gamble to avoid EPA penalties and to push the costs of updating the system to a third party. The costs to update the landfill is estimated by the County to be over $120 million dollars.
Now, what third party, would agree to such a precarious situation, given the price tag and pressure from the Federal government? The bid was between two private companies: Republic Services, and Advanced Disposal Services. Currently, Republic Services is projected to win the contract bid. According to Palatka Daily News, Putnam County will receive:
1. $25 million in purchasing and permitting fee within the next 12 years.
2. $2.4 million in host fees
3. $5.5 million for closure financial assurance fees.
Somehow, through this contract, this will entitle the County to $178 to $204 million to be paid by Republic Services. However, what does Republic Services, a $19 billion dollar company and the third largest waste management company in the US, have to gain? Only time will tell. But questions like, will leachate dumping in my mother's neighborhood stop or why should the county sell its valuable, taxpayer-provided land to a private, profit-making enterprise, remain?
On, May 6, 2014, at 5pm, Putnam County Commissioners at the County Commission Chambers on Crill Avenue in Palatka, will publicly accept Republic Services. Putnam County residents will once again have another reason to hold their noses while traveling through town!
-by Cowan Amaye-Obu "The Putnam County Mess."
Sources
1. Palatka Daliy News
For months, Putnam County residents have been alarmed about the attempt to privatize the Landfill Operations of the Putnam County Sanitation Department. The deal will sale off 340 acres to a private Waste Management Company, who in turn would pay a leasing fee to the County for usage. This issue was of little importance to my Putnam County family, until we discovered the Palatka Wastewater and Treatment Plant was dumping leachate water directly into sewers in our neighborhood. The need for answers or simple information became preeminent.
The question of why County Landfill Workers, were dumping this leachate water in manholes in North Palatka was only silenced when County Officials stated it was "perfectly legal."The interests of Putnam County Commissioners in the safety of their citizens and the environment seemed to be taking a backseat to the larger issue, which exposed the bids for privatization of public Putnam County Landfills.
Putnam County Commissioners were accepting bids for the privatization of their public landfills to specifically avoid a mandate by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to remediate the County landfills which have been contaminating local groundwater sources. Putnam County Officials are also seeking to avoid US EPA sanctions on their landfill methane gas emissions. The current County landfills do not satisfy US EPA requirements and are without the Leachate collection system and liners like most modern Landfill systems.
To remediate the cost of modernizing the County Landfills, County Administrators are accepting bids to sell 340 of the County's 1,200 acre landfill. Which, ultimately is a gamble to avoid EPA penalties and to push the costs of updating the system to a third party. The costs to update the landfill is estimated by the County to be over $120 million dollars.
Now, what third party, would agree to such a precarious situation, given the price tag and pressure from the Federal government? The bid was between two private companies: Republic Services, and Advanced Disposal Services. Currently, Republic Services is projected to win the contract bid. According to Palatka Daily News, Putnam County will receive:
1. $25 million in purchasing and permitting fee within the next 12 years.
2. $2.4 million in host fees
3. $5.5 million for closure financial assurance fees.
Somehow, through this contract, this will entitle the County to $178 to $204 million to be paid by Republic Services. However, what does Republic Services, a $19 billion dollar company and the third largest waste management company in the US, have to gain? Only time will tell. But questions like, will leachate dumping in my mother's neighborhood stop or why should the county sell its valuable, taxpayer-provided land to a private, profit-making enterprise, remain?
On, May 6, 2014, at 5pm, Putnam County Commissioners at the County Commission Chambers on Crill Avenue in Palatka, will publicly accept Republic Services. Putnam County residents will once again have another reason to hold their noses while traveling through town!
-by Cowan Amaye-Obu "The Putnam County Mess."
Sources
1. Palatka Daliy News
http://palatkadailynews.com/view/full_story/24990949/article-Landfill-panel-signs-off-on-memo-to-commission?instance=article_results
http://www.palatkadailynews.com/view/full_story/24652767/article-Landfill-questions-await-answers?instance=article_results
2. Putnam County PPT http://www.putnam-fl.com/bocc/images/stories/pdfs/landfill_privatization_powerpoint_updated.pdf
3. http://www.dontdumponputnam.com
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landfills_in_the_United_States
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_Services
6. http://www.republicservices.com/corporate/home.aspx
7. http://www.advanceddisposal.com/about-advanced-disposal.aspx
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