Dive Brief:

• Waste Management will stop providing garbage service to 1,300 residents of South Tucson, AZ effective Sept. 1 because the company says the city owes it $300,000.
• Mayor Miguel Rojas said the city owes Waste Management money, but not $300,000. 
• The city will look for a new trash hauler. In the meantime, it's trying to work out an agreement with the City of Tucson for temporary service. Rojas said, if the plan is approved, South Tucson would lease the trucks and bins for $4,000 a month, and South Tucson workers would drive the trucks.

   

  Dive Insight:

The dispute between Waste Management and the city is over services performed.

"They wanted us to pay for service that we were not given, or pay them for service they claimed we were supposed to pay," Rojas told KVOA.  "I am talking vacant properties, vacant lots, and they were double booking some of the accounts, and we aren't going to be doing that."

A Waste Management spokesperson told the TV station that there are some cases when the city or homeowner does not notify the company if a resident moves. The company wouldn't comment without more information about the billing claims.

The spokesperson added, "Waste Management has provided service to the City of South Tucson in good faith and in compliance with the terms and conditions of the agreement. This includes providing the service as defined, and in seeking payment from the city for bad debt as outlined in the contract."

Trash service is essential, and residents would suffer most if there is a disruption of service.