It's beginning to look like Dufferin's plans to take over solid waste management and household hazardous waste disposal are evaporating.

Unless something changes, Public Works director Trevor Lewis will likely tell county council tonight that only half of the lower tier municipalities have agreed to use a county thermal treatment facility at a cost of $100 a metric ton (tonne).

As well, he is expected to report, it is unlikely that the county can achieve the required triple majority vote to take over all hazardous waste disposal.

On solid waste, "let me put it this way. So far, I've had agreement (to support a $100 tipping fee) from the municipalities that do not have a landfill site," he said.

This would mean that only half the lower-tier councils are in favour of a countywide treatment facility. Amaranth, Melancthon, Mono and Mulmur have unused capacity in their dumps.

Mr. Lewis said a meeting with Melancthon council might indicate the position all those municipalities are taking. "Melancthon said they thought (the facility) would be a good idea, and they would probably use it in future." But the council felt it would not be in the interests of ratepayers to support the facility while there's capacity in their own dump, he said.

Orangeville, with about half the county's total population, has indicated support for the county facility if the cost is in the order of $100 a tonne. Shelburne, East Garafraxa and East Luther Grand Valley are the other municipalities in support.

In order to proceed with a thermal facility, the county would have to guarantee a certain quantity of waste. Although more than half the population of the county is represented by those municipalities in support, it couldn't be immediately determined whether or not those could supply the required waste stream.

On household hazardous waste, the county already does manage disposal. But it bills municipalities on a user-pay basis, rather than through general taxation.

A complete takeover of disposal would require a triple-majority vote. Some lower-tier councillors have said they fear that the county would wish to construct a permanent disposal site, at what they consider to be an unwarranted cost. Others have said simply that there is no advantage to a change in the system.

Although composting appears to be on the horizon for the county, the solid and hazardous waste issues appear to be in limbo.