Garbage Rail Transfer Facility on Fast Track at Pierce County Council

Pierce County Council Resolution (R2005-20) supporting $29 million in bonds as authorized by the Washington Economic Development Finance Authority ("WEDFA") WEDFA website for garbage hauler Harold LeMay Enterprises is on a fast track for a vote before the full Council to at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, March 29th, in Council Chambers on the 10th Floor of the City County Building, 930 Tacoma Avenue South in Tacoma.

The bonds will finance Harold LeMay Enterprises' construction of a garbage transfer facility Pictures to be located on 34 acres at the intersection of 38th Avenue East and 192nd Street East in Frederickson in unincorporated Pierce County. Harold LeMay Enterprises is affiliated with Land Recovery Inc (LRI), and Waste Connections, joint owners of the 320 acre landfill facility in Graham which in 1999 narrowly escaped application of SSB 5729 prohibiting the siting of new landfills over a sole source aquifer and in proximity to wildlife parks.

According to RCW 43.163, the purpose of WEDFA is to provide attractive loans for small and medium-sized businesses that cannot readily obtain needed capital. Yet WEDFA has issued $97 million in bonds to another garbage hauler, Waste Management. LeMay affiliate Waste Connections financial information is a publicly traded company with $600 million in annual revenues from its landfill operations around the country.

Harold LeMay Enterprises purchased parcels at the Frederickson site for over $6 million. The site sits on a rail line which extends to Chehalis and points south and which connects to a second line which runs directly from Tacoma to Frederickson. The site includes a turn-off rail for loading/unloading which could hold approximately 25 railcars.

LeMay's partner Waste Connections has recently purchased Northwest Container Services for rail-hauling garbage to its landfills in the Pacific Northwest.

Officials of Harold LeMay Enterprises testified without specifics March 21, 2005 before the Pierce County Council Rules & Operations Committee that they needed the funding urgently to build offices, buy trucks and build a transfer facility. CROWD President George Wearn presented a list of questions to the Committee regarding the true nature of the facility which were left unanswered. The rules committee expedited council vote next Tuesday, March 29th.

There has been no permit application submitted to Pierce County Planning and Land Services for this transfer facility, yet approval of $29 million in funding appears imminent. Pierce County > Council member Terry Lee sponsored the resolution and member Barbara Gelman made a special appearance to urge its accelerated placement on the March 29th Council Agenda.