UCRRA Board Takes Two Decisive Actions on Affordability
Agency’s tipping fee for food waste reduced to zero beginning Monday November 2, 2026 and fuel surcharge is capped at 10 percent effective immediately
Press Release by Marc Rider, UCRRA Executive Director
October 26 2026
Kingston, NY – The Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA) Board of Directors voted at their October Regular Board Meeting on two actions that will provide economic relief to its customers and Ulster County residents. One action was a motion by Board Member Donna Egan to reduce the tipping fee on food waste to zero beginning November 2, 2026. The other was a resolution that capped the Agency’s fuel charge at 10 percent of the tipping fee. These two actions together will save Ulster County residents and businesses approximately $150,000 over the next two months.
“I applaud the Board in taking these actions at a time when residents are looking to the public sector for relief. The cost of groceries, gas, clothing, and other staples have gotten out of control.” UCRRA Executive Director Marc Rider stated, “we will continue to contain costs where we can and pass those savings on to our customers, including Ulster County residents.”
It is anticipated that the action to eliminate the tipping fee on food waste will save the Agency’s food waste partners approximately $15,000. The reduction in fees coincides with the roll out of the City Of Kingston’s Kingston Organics program. That program consists of curbside collection of food waste from its residents who have signed up to participate.
“On behalf of the City of Kingston I would like to thank the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency and its Board for supporting Kingston Organics collection program and helping to keep fuel costs as stable as possible for our communities.” Said City of Kingston Mayor Steve Noble, “UCRRA has been a great partner in helping us reduce our solid waste and together we will continue to work on sustainable waste management solutions.”
Resolution 1969 of 2005 authorized the implementation of the fuel surcharge. The intent of surcharge was to protect the Agency at times when fuel costs are high by using a regional index to set the surcharge at a percentage of the tipping fee, the charge our customers pay for final disposal of waste. Due to an increase in direct costs such as landfill transport and disposal, the tipping fee has increased significantly over the last 21 years. Combined with historically high diesel prices, the Agency’s fuel surcharge collections have ballooned in the past year. In recent months the fuel surcharge grew to 14.5 percent. Agency staff recommended a resolution to cap the surcharge at ten percent. This resolution passed at the October 22 Regular Board meeting and went into effect immediately. It is anticipated this action will save our customers approximately $135,000 over the next two months.
“The public has raised both of these issues in recent months, and last night the Board showed that we listen. As a public benefit corporation, we must always balance our needs to raise enough revenue to meet our expenses, with the requirement that we not charge our customers more than necessary,” said Agency Board Chair Jim Gordon, “we are living through difficult times, it is incumbent upon all public agencies and all levels of government to continue to provide vital services, but also, keep costs to our residents reasonable.”
Contact: Marc Rider, Executive Director
Phone(845)309-7817
Email: mrid@ucrra.org
