City Of Jackson: Mayor Lumumba Declares Local Emergency As Negotiations Over Garbage Collection Contract Have Stalled

Press release from the City of Jackson:

September 17, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 17, 2021

MAYOR LUMUMBA DECLARES LOCAL EMERGENCY AS NEGOTIATIONS OVER GARBAGE COLLECTION CONTRACT HAVE STALLED

(JACKSON, Miss) – Today, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba declared a local emergency as negotiations for an upcoming garbage collection contract have broken down.

The declaration comes as the city’s garbage contract is set to expire Sept. 30, and negotiations with the current provider, Waste Management, have been unsuccessful.

Without a contract in place, the City will have no means to collect garbage from residences and businesses, beginning Oct. 1, which could result in a public safety crisis.

“Negotiations with Waste Management have hit a snag as the company attempts to strongarm the City into a lengthy contract,” Lumumba said. “When it comes to the future of garbage collection in Jackson, we are at a point where accepting the status quo is not only unsustainable, it is irresponsible.”

The failure to properly collect and dispose of garbage could expose the City to civil penalties of up to $25,000 a day and other legal action by the state environmental arm, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.

If an agreement cannot be reached, the City intends to pursue a separate contract for garbage collection until a new contract is legally procured.

The emergency order is effective immediately and will be brought before the City Council at its next meeting.

Mayor Lumumba will provide more details at Monday’s regularly scheduled press conference.

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This press release was produced by the City of Jackson. The views expressed here are the author’s own.