Meridian Waste and the Pike County, Mo., Board of Commissioners jointly announced the adoption and execution of a voluntary 10-year host fee agreement between Meridian Waste’s Eagle Ridge Landfill and Pike County.

Funds generated from the host fee are estimated to be in excess of $80,000 per year and will be used at the discretion of the Pike County Board of Commissioners for budgetary needs and projects. The host fee went into effect on January 1, 2019.

“Developing and maintaining a beneficial partnership between our disposal assets and the communities in which they reside are vital to building trust and a successful business for Meridian Waste,” said Walter “Wally” Hall, CEO of Meridian Waste, in a statement. “Our employees and many of our customers call Pike County home, and we believe that by giving back in the form of a voluntary host fee and other community projects, we are working to make the community stronger and to increase the understanding of the important community infrastructure landfills can provide for both a community’s economic development and financial health.”

“As we close out 2018, it was a goal of the Pike County Commission to identify and implement new revenue streams for our county without imposing new taxes upon our citizenry,” said Chris Gamm, chairman of the Pike County Board of Commissioners, in a statement. “This host fee agreement effort lead by commissioner Justin Sheppard shows how industry and the county can work together for sustainable environmental and financial solutions that benefit both entities.”

The host fee will be assessed upon each ton of municipal solid waste and construction and demolition debris waste disposed of at the landfill. All disposal customers, of which the majority are from outside Pike County, are subject to payment of the host fee and will be invoiced accordingly upon delivery of the solid waste material to the landfill.