RFP Solid Waste Transfer Station Operations

Columbia County, Oregon, is seeking proposals for the operation of its solid waste transfer station and recycling depot through a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by the Department of Public Works. The contract involves managing a 6.32-acre facility located at 1601 Railroad Avenue in St. Helens, Oregon, which currently processes approximately 80-96 tons of waste per day for commercial haulers and public self-haul customers. Key responsibilities include operating the transfer station, managing a recycling drop-off center, implementing a pilot reuse program, handling medical sharps disposal, and performing facility maintenance. The facility operates Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding specified holidays. A mandatory pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for December 17, 2025, at 2 p.m. in St. Helens, with proposals due by 4:00 p.m. on January 13, 2026. The evaluation criteria will assess qualifications (30 points), organizational structure and business plan (30 points), similar transfer stations managed (10 points), and financial proposal (30 points). The contract term is ten years, beginning March 6, 2026, with a potential five-year extension option.

The procurement does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions on respondent types. The current operator is Waste Connections dba Hudson Garbage Service, who has held the contract since 2014 and will transition out on March 5, 2026. The successful contractor must obtain and maintain a $425,000 performance bond and carry comprehensive insurance, including $2,000,000 in general liability, auto liability, and pollution liability, along with workers' compensation coverage. Financial considerations include a fixed annual fee to be specified by the contractor, with allowable increases tied to an industrial index percentage. In 2024, the facility processed 32,935 total tons from 38,001 trips, with commercial haulers charged $112.36 per ton and public self-haul customers charged $27.48 for the first 320 pounds or $167.19 per ton over that threshold. The contractor will be required to indemnify Columbia County against claims arising from contract performance, and nine copies of proposals must be submitted for consideration.