The city is going to start taking on a whole lot more trash.
Monday, councillors voted to sign an agreement with the territory to landfill garbage from nearby communities.
The Yukon government will soon be offloading solid waste from Deep Creek, Mt. Lorne, Carcross, Tagish and Marsh Lake onto Whitehorse.
The city has already been accepting some solid waste from these nearby communities on a trial basis. But with the territory’s recent strategy to put an end to garbage burning in rural communities, the city will be
taking on even more waste.
The territory has plans to create four new landfills to deal with garbage in other parts of the territory.
If council agrees to sign a memorandum with the territory the city will be charging tipping fees of $100 per tonne of sorted waste and $250 for unsorted waste.
Last year the city took in 1,032 metric tonnes of waste from other communities in the Yukon totalling $81,857 in revenue.
But that amount isn’t enough, said some councillors.
Increased traffic, the possibility for garbage to fall off trucks entering the city and the wear and tear on city equipment might not equal what the city is asking in fees, said councillor Ranj Pillai.
“We’re doing a huge favour for (Yukon government), one that we don’t always see in return from them,” he said.
Councillor Florence Roberts and Doug Graham also echoed those concerns.
“I’m really concerned that this isn’t a high enough price and that we won’t get to vote on this again until next year,” said Graham.