City, Commercial Waste Haulers Debate Landfill’s Life Span
By ABC-7 Reporter Darren Hunt
EL PASO — Earlier this week ABC-7 reported the fight that’s developing between commercial waste haulers and the City of El Paso.
At the root of that battle is the projected life span of the Camino Real landfill in Sunland Park.
Some believe Camino Real’s days are numbered after receiving a one-year instead of a ten-year permit renewal. And that has the City of El Paso preparing for the possibility of losing a landfill.
“I was just stunned, stunned,” that was the reaction of City of El Paso Environmental Services Director Ellen Smythe when she heard the Camino Real landfill, where nearly all of El Paso’s commercial waste is taken, was granted a one-year permit instead of a 10-year permit.
“It started to dawn on me, what happens if you close your landfill in one year?” Smythe said.
That prompted the city to study the possibility of becoming the sole provider of waste services, which could cause many private waste haulers to lose their jobs.
“We need to prepare to take that extra trash,” Smythe said.
Lee Wilson, who is in charge of the Camino Real landfill, said the city is reacting like it’s an emergency.
“The city is reacting like it’s an emergency,” said Wilson, who indicated there’s no way his landfill will close in a year.
“We’re talking about four and a half to five years of time to resolve it and based upon the regulations we’d continue to operate under our existing permit during that time frame,” he said. “so, no, there is no emergency pending.”
Some say what may be at the root of the renewal problem is that el Paso’s trash is ending up in new Mexico and some may not like that. Others say it’s all simply politics.
“Politics is involved in many aspects of our society, including our waste disposal,” Wilson added.
But Smythe said she can’t be sure the landfill in Sunland park will live on.
“There’s just no telling what they’re going to get at the end of the day,” she said, “so, as due diligence, the City of El Paso needs to be prepared for the worst case scenario.”
