Sims proposes to waive disposal fees for residents with flood damage

Recognizing the hardships residents at flooded properties already face, King County Executive Ron Sims is proposing free disposal of storm-related debris at King County solid waste disposal facilities on Nov. 18 and 19, 2006.

"Since the disposal of solid waste material resulting from the storm at normal disposal fees would cause financial hardship for many property owners and could delay the cleanup of debris, I want King County to waive disposal fees for residents with storm damage,"Sims said.

"This is the least we can do to help citizens and businesses affected by the flood get back on their feet,"said Metropolitan King County Council Chair Larry Phillips. "I hope waiving these fees will aid clean up efforts, and I commend all the citizens volunteering their time to help flood victims weather this storm."

"Meeting the immediate needs of citizens in this way is an important role for local government to fill,"said King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert, who represents District 3 in Northeast King County. "The City of Snoqualmie took the lead this week in providing dumpsters and free flood waste disposal service to city residents. Now King County also can provide this vital service to help residents get their homes cleaned up, and to help protect public health and safety. We are working with many cities in the Snoqualmie Valley that are flooded to coordinate our resources."

Sims sent a motion authorizing the temporary free disposal of storm-related debris to the King County Council today. The council is expected to act on the motion Monday.

Once approved, the free disposal would apply to residents of King County outside of the cities of Seattle and Milton, which are not part of the King County solid waste handling system. King County residents would need to provide acceptable proof of residence such as a current utility bill or other piece of mail containing the resident’s current address.

Only storm-related debris will be disposed at no charge; split loads of mixed storm-related debris and regular solid waste will be charged at the regular solid waste disposal rate. Storm-related debris will be inspected by Solid Waste Division staff, which will reserve the right to limit quantities disposed without charge. Standard waste acceptance rules will apply (for example, computers, monitors, TVs and cell phones are not accepted at transfer stations) and all loads would need to be properly secured; unsecured loads will be subject to unsecured load fees.

Sims on Monday signed an emergency proclamation to provide county agencies with the authority they need to respond as quickly as possible to the emergency conditions. Areas in King County received more than eight inches of rainfall during a five-day period ending Tuesday, contributing to historic flooding in the region.

Details on the free debris acceptance program will be available next week on the King County Solid Waste Division Web site, at http://www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/.