STAR STAFF
Upper Valley Disposal Service, Upper Valley Recycling and Clover Flat Landfill issued a detailed statement Friday denying allegations leveled by neighbors in a recent lawsuit, while two of the plaintiffs spoke out about how the companiesâ operations have affected their lives.
The companiesâ statement called the lawsuit âmeritlessâ and âbased on a combination of false allegations and inaccurate descriptions of isolated past incidents, which have been remedied to the satisfaction of the applicable regulatory authorities or are currently being addressed under their supervision.â
Seven neighbors of UVDSâ Whitehall Lane recycling and composting facility sued the companies May 10 in Napa Superior Court, alleging ongoing problems with odors, noise, light pollution, and fire hazards. They also allege pollution originating from Clover Flat Landfill.
The California garbage business changed permanently in 1990 when customers were required to sort their waste into separate carts.
Starting Jan. 1, 2022, with the rollout of new state regulations involving organic waste, itâs changing again.
As part of SB 1383, local jurisdictions will have to provide organic waste collection service to all residents and businesses. In the upper Napa Valley, the task of implementing a more robust organics diversion program will fall to Upper Valley Disposal Service (UVDS), which is under a long-term franchise agreement to handle waste management.
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One funding door is closing for a key, proposed Napa Valley Vine Trail segment through the heart of scenic wine country, but others are possibly opening.
Local transportation officials had hoped to secure a $10 million state Active Transportation Program grant toward the $16 million extension of the trail between Yountville and St. Helena. Then bikers and walkers might have been able to use the new path as soon as 2026.
But the project, covering 8.2 miles, failed in February to secure the grant with round one of the funding. Now it looks like the same negative result for round two.
Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) staff is recommending eight projects receive a total of $37 million and the Vine Trail isnât one of them. Itâs not even on the contingency list.
The St. Helena City Council got a crash course Monday in how Upper Valley Disposal Service and Clover Flat Landfill are managed and overseen.
Steve Lederer, Napa County public works director and manager of the Upper Valley Waste Management Agency, explained that the UVWMA is a joint-powers authority created in 1993 with representatives from St. Helena, Calistoga, Napa County and Yountville. City Councilmember Anna Chouteau is St. Helenaâs representative.
The UVWMA modified and renewed UVDSâ franchise agreements in 2007, locking in rates at Clover Flat (with increases tied to the consumer price index) and allowing for the establishment of a facility to process debris from construction and demolition. Over the last few years, both sides voluntarily agreed to update and simplify the contracts, adding franchise fees that will be received by each jurisdiction.