Diversion Tracking

Fuel & Environmental Charge Details

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USA Environmental Services is dedicated to delivering safe and dependable waste services at fair rates. We and our affiliated partners have invested in cleaner technologies with the aim of mitigating our environmental footprint. However, factors like fuel prices and environmental compliance costs remain beyond our full control. Our standard Fuel/Environmental Charge is designed to assist our operating companies in managing these costs and maintaining a satisfactory operating margin. This charge appears as a single line item on customer invoices and comprises two distinct components: a Fuel Surcharge and an Environmental Charge.

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Fuel Surcharges

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The Fuel Surcharge enables our operating companies to recoup the expenses associated with diesel, natural gas, and other hydrocarbon-based fuels and products used throughout our operations, above a predetermined baseline cost. This baseline cost is established at $0.95 per gallon of diesel. The Fuel Surcharge ensures that our operating companies can adapt to fluctuating fuel costs while sustaining the high level of service our customers expect. Our standard Fuel Surcharge is determined by the national average price of diesel fuel, as reported weekly by the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy (EIA/DOE) in its Weekly Retail On-Highway Diesel Prices Index. This index, widely recognized in the transportation industry, guarantees that customers are assessed an up-to-date and easily calculable fuel surcharge.

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The EIA/DOE average, published weekly, determines the fuel surcharge for invoices generated during that week. The Collection Fuel Surcharge Table or Disposal Fuel Surcharge Table outlines the Fuel Surcharge, expressed as a percentage of a customer's monthly or periodic invoice charges, before taxes, based on the last reported EIA/DOE national diesel price before the invoice date.

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The Fuel Surcharge amount or percentage is not directly linked to servicing a specific customer account. Depending on contract terms or at the discretion of a USA Environmental Services affiliated company, some customers may pay a nonstandard fuel surcharge or be exempt from it. Through fuel surcharges, our affiliated companies endeavor to collectively cover all nation-wide fuel costs exceeding the $0.95/gallon diesel cost baseline from customers subject to the surcharge, excluding any exempt or non-paying customers.

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Environmental & Energy Charge

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The Environmental & Energy Charge represents 20% of all invoice charges, including the Fuel Surcharge but excluding the Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge and taxes. (Some disposal customers may be subject to a flat rate per load or another rate in accordance with their service.)

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The Environmental & Energy Charge enables our operating and affiliated companies to address the nation-wide costs and expenses associated with operating collection, transfer, landfill, and recycling facilities in a safe and environmentally responsible manner while maintaining a satisfactory operating margin. Similar to the Fuel Surcharge, the Environmental & Energy Charge is not specifically tied to the costs of servicing a particular customer account. Some customers may pay a nonstandard environmental charge or be exempt from it, depending on contract terms, service location, or at the discretion of USA Environmental Services. Through environmental charges, our operating and affiliated companies strive to collectively cover all applicable nation-wide environmentally related costs from customers subject to the charge, excluding any exempt or non-paying customers.

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Historical USA Fuel/Environmental/Energy Charge Values

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The Fuel/Environmental Charge on a customer's invoice is determined by applying the Fuel Surcharge percentage from the Collection Fuel Surcharge Table or Disposal Fuel Surcharge Table to the total invoice charges (excluding the Environmental Charge, Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge, and taxes). Then, the environmental percentage is applied to the total invoice charges, including the Fuel Surcharge calculation. For example, a bill totaling $25.00 for services, with a $3.00 Fuel Surcharge, would incur an additional $5.60 for the Environmental Charge (20% of $28). For reference, the Historical Fuel/Environmental Charge Percentages table outlines the Fuel and Environmental Charge percentages applied by our operating and affiliated collection and disposal companies over the past 52 weeks. This table also correlates with the corresponding EIA/DOE value for each week.

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Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge

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Our operating and affiliated companies face significant expenses annually in host community fees and waste disposal taxes. Consequently, a Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge is assessed on customer invoices, currently set at 3.6% of all invoice charges, including the Fuel/Environmental Charge but excluding taxes.

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This charge enables our operating companies to partially recover the overall enterprise-wide costs associated with host community fees, waste disposal taxes, and similar charges paid to municipal or other governmental authorities or agencies for engaging in waste collection, transfer, processing, disposal, treatment, and/or recycling operations while maintaining a satisfactory operating margin. Similar to the Fuel Surcharge and Environmental Charge, the Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge is not specifically tied to servicing a particular customer account. Some customers may pay a nonstandard Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge or be exempt from it, depending on contract terms, service location, or at the discretion of USA Environmental Services.

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Not a Governmental Tax; Future Changes

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The Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge is solely the responsibility of our USA Environmental Services operating and affiliated companies and is not directly linked to any fees, taxes, or charges applicable to your local service area that our operating and affiliated companies are required to collect and remit to any governmental agency. The percentage of the Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge may be subject to change at the discretion of the company. Any such changes will be subject to an existing customer's applicable service terms.