In Midland, TX, an oil boom that's been going on for about four years has created more waste with which the Midland Solid Waste Management Department has had to accommodate. "We're dealing with oil field waste, and there is plenty of it," says Morris Williams, solid waste director, adding that much of it is special wastes and food waste. "We've almost doubled the amount of waste coming into our landfill. That presents us with more staffing challenges to ensure we're handling everything right. We can't move as fast as a private company and say in the middle of a budget year that we need five more people." Additionally, the oil boom is luring away the employees needed to address the increased waste to better-paying jobs. "They can make 50 to 100% more than what we pay," he says. "Even our direct competition, like Republic Services, offers a much better salary than we do. It used to be a great job here with health benefits, but some of these companies are setting competitive."
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