Council calls for study on use of portable scales at County transfer stations

September 7, 2010

Summary

Plan to examine protecting the public and county roads from overloaded garbage trucks

Story

Concern over public safety led to the Metropolitan King County Council giving its unanimous approval today to a motion calling for studying the use of portable scales at County transfer stations. A report from the King County Ombudsman highlighting the safety issues of overloaded garbage trucks was the impetus behind the proposal.

“Public safety is of paramount importance, so we must take action to ensure solid waste trucks are operating at safe weight limits,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips, sponsor of the motion. “I applaud the drivers who blew the whistle with their concern about overweight trucks. Adherence to proper weight limits has already improved since they came forward, and the addition of scales at transfer stations will improve safety and compliance even further.”

“Overloading solid waste trucks is dangerous for the drivers, threatens the safety of others on the road, and compromises our infrastructure,” said Council Chair Bob Ferguson, who co-sponsored the motion. “This study will help the County find a cost-effective and efficient solution for the safe transfer of solid waste materials.”

At the request of Councilmember Phillips, the Ombudsman last month completed a report addressing a whistleblower complaint concerning transfer of solid waste in trucks that are over legal limits for vehicle weights. The report addressed a concern raised by Solid Waste Division truck drivers, that trucks carrying solid waste from County transfer stations to the County’s Cedar Hills Regional Landfill, have sometimes been loaded beyond the 98,000 pound gross vehicle weight (“GVW”) limit established by the State Department of Transportation.

State weight limits are intended to protect infrastructure, primarily bridges from fatigue. Additionally, road engineers design portions of roadways, such as corners and ramps, assuming those maximums. Overloaded trucks also pose a public safety hazard because they compromise the ability to control or slow the truck, leading to a greater probability of collisions.

The Solid Waste Transfer and Waste Management Plan, approved by the Council in 2007, recommends that the solid waste transfer system be updated and rebuilt. The Solid Waste Division has already started the process to upgrade of the transfer station system, and part of the upgrade will be the installation of compactors with built-in scales.

At the request of Councilmember Phillips, Council staff reviewed the Ombudsman’s report, and identified cases where other public entities, including the County Roads Division, were using portable scales for enforcement purposes. Council staff also reviewed the potential use of “weigh–in-motion” scales, which could allow trucks to be weighted while they are moving, reducing any work flow disruption associated with the process of weighing trucks.

The adopted motion calls for the Solid Waste Division to undertake a study of the cost, reliability, accuracy and utility of portable truck scales (including “weigh-in motion” scales) to weigh Division trucks as they leave the transfer stations. The study will also consider the potential for surplusing the scales upon the completion of upgrade or replacement projects for transfer stations currently not served by truck scales. The Division is to provide the results of the study in a report to be provided to the Council by November 10, 2010.

The adopted motion advances the Council’s priority of Environmental Sustainability.