--- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ---

Average US Municipal Solid Waste Gate Rates

Increased by 2% in 2009

San Diego, California – May 20, 2010 - The Chartwell Solid Waste Digest announced today that its research found that the calculated national average gate rate at municipal solid waste landfills reached $43 per ton in 2009. This was an increase of about 2% or $1 per ton over the previous year.

Chartwell also announced that the median gate rate at municipal solid waste landfills in the United States also increased. In 2009, 50% of all surveyed landfills have a gate rate below $37 per ton, while the other 50% had gate rates exceeding $37 per ton. The median national gate rate in 2008 was $36 per ton; the net increase in the national median gate rate was also about $1 per ton.

As implied by the difference between the average and median, there is a wide range of gate rates in the United States. Fees range from below $20 per ton to over $100 per ton. Many states have gate rates which reflect unique market situations within the state and correspondingly have gate rates that are significant different than the national statistics.

This announcement coincides with the start of the release of a series of 50 Chartwell Solid Waste Digest reports covering each of the individual state gate rates and gate rate trends. The reports will address nine year trends over the period of 2001 – 2009 as well as recent 2009 verses 2008 gate rate changes at different sized landfills.