Plan to Import Trash Causes Stink on Panel : Landfills: Waste Commission deadlocks on proposal to raise $520 million by charging stiff fees for accepting out-of-county garbage at county landfills.

SANTA ANA —  Despite the promise of more than half a billion dollars in new revenue for cash-strapped Orange County, a local government panel deadlocked Thursday on a proposal that would allow trash from San Diego and Los Angeles counties into local landfills at hefty fees.

The stormy session of the Orange County Waste Management Commission resulted in an 8-8 vote and foreshadows what many officials said Thursday could be a bumpy ride through the necessary government channels.

Initially proposed to help close the gap on a massive $93-million county budget shortfall, the plan was strongly assailed by some commissioners concerned for the county’s own future needs for landfill space.

“The county should not sacrifice its investment in the future in order to help make up general fund shortages, even for just a few years,” said Commissioner Murray Storm of Trabuco Canyon, “especially when every day of capacity needs to be guarded.”

The waste commission acts in an advisory capacity to the Board of Supervisors, which holds ultimate jurisdiction in the matter. The commission is expected to reconsider the issue at a special meeting next Tuesday.

Through its tie vote, the commission effectively tabled a proposal to support the importation of about 5,000 tons of garbage per day from out-of-county sources for as long as five years. Applying the current fee schedule, the local government would earn about $175 million during that period.

Officials said the money would be used to freeze local landfill gate fees at $22.75 per ton for up to five years and possibly fund land acquisitions for more landfill space.

The same proposal also calls for charging out-of-county customers at least $32.75 per ton, a fee that could be applied against existing and future budget shortfalls.

“What you have before you is a very simple concept,” said Murry Cable, director of the county’s Integrated Waste Department. “It’s a revenue-generating opportunity. It was proposed to get us through the recession by providing a guaranteed revenue stream.”

Even with the importation of trash, Cable said, the five-year plan would shave only one year from the 44-year life span of the county’s four-landfill system.

Regardless of the commission’s action, Cable said, he would push the supervisors to approve the daily maximum of imported garbage, estimated at just more than 10,000 tons per day. At that level, with the surcharge included, the county could earn as much as $520 million over the five years. But it would lose a second year from its lifetime landfill capacity.

Orange County could almost surely capitalize on the severe shortage of landfill space in Los Angeles and San Diego counties, he said.

“It’s just like in the movie ‘Field of Dreams,’ ” Cable said in an earlier interview. “If you build them, they will come. Whoever is willing to pay the most is who will get the landfill space.”

Following the meeting, Cable said he knew that the proposal would be controversial but believed that the commission’s action would not delay a schedule that would bring the matter before the Board of Supervisors as early as April 27.

In sometimes emotional debate during the two-hour commission meeting, the thought of converting trash to cash was clearly tempting, but remained far from a sure winner.

“I feel like a train is coming here. I think we should take another look at the numbers,” Commissioner Glenn Hellyer of Anaheim said.

In a written statement delivered to the panel, Commissioner Stanley F. Tkaczyk said the proposal conflicts with the county’s own goal of reducing landfill tonnage by the year 2000.

“The decision to import trash is purely a financial decision to help balance the county’s budget on the back of the solid waste fund,” Tkaczyk said in the statement. “Unfortunately, we are all scrambling during these recessionary times, but to sell our future may not be the answer.”

In supporting the import plan, Commissioner Frank Benest said the freeze of local gate fees would bring countywide benefits. Benest, who also serves as city manager of Brea (home of one of the existing landfills), said the plan had already won the support of city managers in Orange County.

“We have asked this county to be entrepreneurial to deal with tough economic times,” he said. “This is not a perfect solution to all our problems, but it is a good effort to meet our needs.”

Repeatedly answering questions about the county’s remaining capacity, Cable said garbage tonnage has generally declined since 1987-88, when daily levels hovered around 15,000 tons. Currently, the county’s landfills receive about 11,000 tons per day.

Cash for Trash County officials say importing trash from San Diego County or Los Angeles County would alleviate a revenue shortfall here and shave only two years off the local system’s combined 44-year life span. The four landfills proposed for this project are: Frank R. Bowerman Opened: 1990 Capacity: 109 million Prima Deshecha Opened: 1976 Capacity: 81 million Santiago Canyon Opened: Late 1960s Capacity: 26 million North County-Olinda-Alpha Opened: 1981 Capacity: 36 million * In cubic tons Projected revenue in millions generated from maximum daily tonnage imported (revenue for five years could reach $520 million if a surcharge is added):

Tons per day Revenue 1st yr. 7,895 $55.1 2nd yr. 13,075 $91.3 3rd yr. 11,798 $82.4 4th yr. 9,230 $64.4 5th yr. 9,959 $69.5

Source: Orange County Waste Management Commission; Researched by KEVIN JOHNSON and CAROLINE LEMKE / Los Angeles Times