FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Lindsey Sampson, Lee County Solid Waste Division
              (239) 338-3302

RESIDENTS GENERATING MORE GARBAGE LEADS TO SLIGHT INCREASE IN PROPOSED RATES

FORT MYERS, Fla. (June 23, 2003) - The Board of Lee County Commissioners will hold a public hearing Tuesday (July 8) to adopt solid waste assessments and disposal rates for Fiscal Year 2003-04.

The hearing will be at 5 p.m. in the Lee County Commission Chambers at the Old County Courthouse, 2120 Main Street in downtown Fort Myers.

The county's Solid Waste Division is recommending a 5.5 percent average increase in residential garbage rates - from an annual average of $202.94 to $214.18. The primary reason for the increase is homeowners in the past year have generated, on average, 18 percent more garbage - and have generated 53 percent more garbage in the last three years, going from about a ton generated per household to 1.51 tons. The recycling rate per household this past year also has increased, but at 15 percent not to the same extent as the solid waste generation.

Existing and proposed (in parentheses) rates in the county's five franchise areas are as follows:

Area 1 Fort Myers Beach, Bonita Springs, Captiva $196.99 ($209.93)
Area 2 South of Fort Myers $197.35 ($207.41)
Area 3 East, Lehigh Acres $198.91 ($208.97)
Area 4 North Fort Myers $200.23 ($213.29)
Area 5 Pine Island $221.23 ($231.29)
Average $202.94 ($214.18)

Lee County currently is in the permitting process of expanding its Waste-to-Energy Facility from a capacity of 1,200 tons per day to 1,800 tons per day. The facility was completed in August 1994 and disposes of the county's garbage by burning it and generating electricity from a steam driven turbine. The facility burns 395,000 tons of garbage a year and generates up to 34 megawatts of electricity - or enough to power about 30,000 homes.

Since the Waste-to-Energy Plant began operating, residential garbage rates in Lee County have declined from $224 to $214 a year. Covanta Lee Inc., formerly Ogden Martin Systems of Lee Inc., operates the facility through a County contract. The facility has been operating at its maximum capacity during the past three years.

County Solid Waste Director Lindsey Sampson says the county will continue to emphasize residential and business recycling as a way to contain future increases in disposal charges, including educational and promotional programs to encourage recycling participation.