Page Updated 10-25-23
Since 1993, Texas Disposal Systems Landfill, Inc. (TDSL) has partnered with the City of San Antonio (City) to provide solid waste disposal services. Several times over the ensuing years the Agreement between TDSL and the City has been amended and expanded. Since 1998, TDSL has operated the City owned Starcrest Transfer Station and the City has been required to annually deliver, or pay for the delivery of a minimum of 100,000 tons of solid waste to TDSL. Unfortunately, several significant operational changes made by the City, coupled with increases in operating costs above and beyond the allowed consumer price index, have increased TDSL’s costs while depriving TDSL of expected revenue. These unforeseeable actions of the City, combined with other rapidly increasing operational costs have resulted in major financial losses to TDSL, which must be addressed by amendments to the contract. For more than ten years TDSL has sought to work with the City staff to find a mutually beneficial solution to the problem, however, those efforts were not successful, and TDSL was left with no choice but to litigate the contractual dispute. TDSL remains hopeful that the dispute can be resolved in a manner that salvages the long-term positive working relationship between TDSL and the City, and that our contractual relationship can continue in a manner that is economically beneficial for TDSL, the City and the competitive market serving all area generators of solid waste and recyclables.
Contract
- Sept. 15, 1993 Agreement with City of San Antonio
- May 31, 1995 Ordinance
- June 1, 1995 First Amendment to Agreement
- Jan, 1, 1998 Second Amendment to Agreement
- March 22, 2001 Starcrest Special Addendum
Litigation
- Aug. 2, 2021 TDSL Letter to City of San Antonio
- Mar. 31, 2022 Original Petition of TDSL
- May 20, 2022 Defendant’s Original Answer
- June 20, 2022 City of San Antonio Initial Disclosures
- June 21, 2022 Plaintiff’s Initial Disclosures
- Aug. 23, 2022 Motion to Withdraw as Counsel and Notice of Appearance as Counsel
- Jan. 12, 2023 City of San Antonio Counterclaim and Application for Temporary Injunction
- Jan. 12, 2023 Notice of Hearing on Defendant’s Application for Injunctive Relief
- Jan. 23, 2023 TDSL v City of San Antonio Second Amended Notice of In-Person Hearing Application for Injunctive Relief
- Feb. 13, 2023 TDSL’s Opposition to Temporary Injunction with Exhibits
- Feb. 16, 2023 Application for Temporary Restraining Order with Exhibit A
- Feb. 17, 2023 Defendant Exhibit Index for Temporary Restraining Order
- Feb. 17, 2023 Defendant Application for Temporary Restraining Order with Exhibit A
- Feb. 21, 2023 TDSL’s Opposition Temporary Restraining Order with Exhibits
- Feb. 21, 2023 Temporary Injunction Hearing Transcript (Volume 1)
- Feb. 22, 2023 Temporary Injunction Hearing Transcript (Volume 2)
- Feb. 22, 2023 Temporary Injunction Order
- July 7, 2023 Proposed Agreed Protective Order
- Aug. 15, 2023 TDSL First Amended Petition
- Sept. 5, 2023 City of San Antonio Answer to Plaintiff’s First Amended Petition
- Sept. 21, 2023 City of San Antonio Plea to the Jurisdiction
- Oct. 23, 2023 TDSL’s Opposition to Plea to the Jurisdiction
2023 Request for Proposal for Solid Waste Delivered Directly to Landfills
(not through the Starcrest Transfer Station)
- Feb. 9, 2023 Presentation to City Council Re: Contract and Timeline
- Feb. 24, 2023 RFP for Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Services
Articles
- Sept. 19, 1992 Bidding Format Could Spur War For Landfill Contract
- Sept. 20, 1992 Contract Revisions May Mean City is Quitting Landfill Business
- Sept. 24, 1992 City Receives Landfill Extension Council Set To Consider Deal
- Sept. 3, 1993 Council to Close Landfill
- Sept. 4, 1993 Decision to Shut Landfill may Boost Garbage Fees
- Sept. 10, 1993 Council Seals Fate of Nelson Gardens S.A to Use Private Landfill for Now
- Sept. 11, 1993 Nelson Gardens Landfill to Close System Tuesday
- Sept. 16, 1993 S.A. Garbage Headed for Austin
- Sept. 18, 1993 Landfill Drives Down Trash-drop Fee to $8 Per Pickup Load
- Sept. 30, 1993 Second Private Landfill Opens for Public Trash
- Dec. 10, 1993 Recycling Error Prompts Staff Change
- Mar. 15, 1995 Plan for Frio Landfill Dumped
- May 30, 1995 Garbage Firms Dump Money, Effort into Cleaning up Image
- Jun. 1, 1995 S.A. Trash Assured Firm Resting Places
- Dec. 5, 1996 Trash Talk Transformed into Triumph at City Hall
- Mar. 29, 1998 Add $8 Million More to City Squandermania
- Apr. 5, 1998 Critic’s Plaintive Song ‘Mr. Stinson … Wrong’
- Aug. 4, 1998 Hey, I’d Praise them for only $50 Million
Book Excerpt
Los Angeles Waste Hauling Franchise System
- Dec. 9, 2016 L.A. City Council awards lucrative trash-hauling contracts
- Jan. 25, 2017 Commercial Franchise Zones Explained
- Apr. 5, 2017 LA Franchise System Rights and Restrictions
- Feb. 14, 2019 L.A. Trash Haulers Will Drop Some of Their Fees — and the City Will Help Pay the Tab
- May 26, 2020 AAGLA Files Lawsuit in Federal Court Against City of Los Angeles Challenging City’s Alleged Monopolistic Trash Hauling Scheme
Waste Management of Texas, Inc.
In 1997, following Waste Management’s publication of false statements about TDS and its landfill, TDS sued Waste Management for defamation and other claims. In 2010, a jury found in favor of TDS and awarded $5.45 million in actual damages and $20 million in exemplary damages, finding that Waste Management had knowingly published false and defamatory statements about TDS and its Creedmoor, Texas landfill in 1997 after TDS received approval from the San Antonio City Council, but before the contract was signed for a 30-year landfill disposal and transfer station contract, and during the decision making process for a City of Austin 30 year disposal and recycling services contract. Learn more here: