Austin, Texas, officials reject $7.7 million Republic contract

Austin (Texas) City Council voted to reject a collection contract with Phoenix-based Republic Services after the hauling firm proposed dumping the waste in the Austin Community Landfill, a report by the Austin Monitor says. The three-year, $7.7 million contract would have allowed Republic to collect and dispose of waste from city facilities and at special events.

The Austin Community Landfill became the center of controversy among environmental and neighborhood groups who previously complained of odor and safety hazards, the report says.

Attorney Jim Nias, who represents Republic, claims the accusations are “overblown” and that the landfill has 13 years of additional capacity, the report says. He also said the firm received a better score from the Austin purchasing office than Houston-based Waste Management, the only other competing bidder, in terms of regulatory compliance and cost.

Andrew Dobbs of the Texas Campaign for the Environment expressed concerns over the proposal, according to the report, saying Republic “greenwashed” its plans and suggested sites operated by Waste Management in Williamson County or a site southeast of the city run by Texas Disposal Systems of Creedmore, Texas, for disposal.

In the interim, an official from the city’s Purchasing Office says the city would be able to continue disposing of its waste without a contract, but Council should have a new proposal ready within the next few months, the report says.