By JIMMY LAWTON

CANTON – Trash removal prices for everyone in the county are about to get a little bit steeper, but recycling for those who use the county transfer station may become free.

That’s according to a proposal county officials were still tweaking Friday afternoon.

While the proposal could potentially reduce overall trash removal costs for heavy recyclers who use the county transfer station, it will not benefit direct haulers or those who purchase service through direct haulers such as Casella Waste Systems. That also includes municipalities like Colton, Parishville and Potsdam, who contract with Casella for trash removal and recycling.

St. Lawrence County Solid Waste Department Manager Larry Legault said the fee increase is necessary to offset the cost of no-charge recycling and to ensure the department can cover ever-growing expenses associated with trash disposal.

The initial proposal would have raised the price for dumping trash from $155 per ton to $157 per ton, but St. Lawrence County Legislator Joel Lapierre said that cost will likely increase after concerns were raised by Casella Waste and other entities that do not use the county facility.

That’s because the county implements a surcharge to haulers like Casella who do not use the St. Lawrence County Transfer Station.

Traditionally the county has levied what amounts to a penalty of $6 per ton on those who haul directly to the regional landfill in Rodman and bypass the county’s three transfer stations. A proposal by the county initially intended to double that fee to $12 per ton. A deal was in the works prior to publication to reduce that fee but by how much was not clear.

The new proposal while not yet complete, is expected to be ready for the Monday night legislature meeting.

Colton Town Supervisor Dennis Bulger says using the county’s service doesn’t make sense for towns that aren’t located near Ogdensburg, Gouverneur or Massena, where the transfer stations are located.

Instead some municipalities like Parishville, Potsdam and Colton rely on Casella for disposal. However, even though Colton doesn’t use the county service, it’s still forced to pay the surcharge that is levied on Casella.

Bulger said he has always questioned why the surcharge is levied on non-users in the first place, but was seriously concerned with the county’s proposal to double the fee. Such an increase could cost Colton taxpayers as much $5,000 more a year, with no change in service.

Legault on the other hand says the fee is necessary to ensure the county can maintain its operation. He likened the county’s solid waste program to that of a sewer district. In both cases the service is paid for largely by users, but anyone in the district is required to contribute, even if they choose not use the service.

Casella Waste Services General Manager Skip Bisnett said a positive meeting Friday with St. Lawrence County Solid Waste Committee members allowed him and others to voice the concern, which seemed to hit home with the legislators.

“We understand why the county has the surcharge, but we don’t think it makes sense to offset the recycling proposal by disproportionately charging more to those who aren’t gaining the benefit,” he said.

Bisnett said details weren’t finalized at the meeting, but LaPierre and other members of the committee agreed that the proposal was not exactly fair to non-users.

LaPierre said that while the surcharge will still increase, it will no longer be doubled.

“We want to make sure we are being fair to all county residents. They pointed out to us that maybe the way we’re raising fees wasn’t the best way to do it. I don’t know what the final numbers will be yet, but we won’t be raising the surcharges for what you call non-users as much. he said. “At the end of the day the county has got bills to pay. We know the dollar amount we need. Now we just need to figure out how to arrive there,” he said.

Bisnett said his company and the county once struggled to get along, but says the working relationship has been fairly smooth for the past 15 years. He said the reality is Casella needs the county and the county needs Casella. He said the low population and massive geography in St. Lawrence County make trash hauling an expensive service.