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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 08-30-2000 - 4ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: August 30, 2000 Action Agenda Item No. 4 SUBJECT: Solid Waste Facilities DEPARTMENT: Solid Waste PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No ATTACHMENT(S): 8/24/00 Staff Memo 1 INFORMATION CONTACT: Gayle Wilson, Solid Waste Management Director, 968 -2885 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732 -8181 Chapel Hill 968 -4501 Durham 688 -7331 Mebane 336- 227 -2031 PURPOSE: To discuss the current and future need for solid waste facilities to manage Orange County solid waste and recyclables, and to provide direction to staff on how to proceed. BACKGROUND: Orange County, primarily through the Landfill Owners Group, has been involved with facilities siting since at least 1989. With a few exceptions, these siting endeavors have proven quite challenging and have met with limited success. One conclusion emanating from the mixed solid waste (MSW) landfill site search process in the early to mid -1990s was that Orange County would not site a new MSW disposal facility in Orange County, but would utilize a transfer station to ship solid waste to an out -of- county disposal site. Arrangements for siting and operating a transfer station remain to be discussed. The attached staff memo recaps some of the most significant points from staff correspondence to the Board earlier this year regarding the potential siting of a number of solid waste facilities that the Board will need to address during this, and the next several, fiscal years. The Board may wish to consider the background information provided in the attached memo while discussing the topic of new solid waste facilities at this work session. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Solid waste facilities present two primary types of financial impacts — costs of acquisition /development and opportunities for fee revenues. Costs for acquisition and development vary with the specific facilities, with some facilities such as the transfer station and C &D landfill having been proposed to be financed primarily from the existing reserves in the Solid Waste /Landfill Operations Enterprise Fund. Operational revenues will be addressed by the Board as it considers the matter of solid waste alternative financing discussed elsewhere in the August 30 work session agenda materials. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board review and discuss the background information presented by staff, and provide appropriate direction to the Manager and staff regarding future solid waste facility siting and financing. MEMORANDUM To: Orange County Board of Commissioners John Link, County Manager From: Gayle Wilson, Solid Waste Director Subject: Solid Waste Facilities Date: August 24, 2000 Earlier this year, staff prepared correspondence for the Manager and County Commissioners which outlined most of the issues we believe need to be addressed that relate to solid waste facilities. I have incorporated the most significant elements from that earlier correspondence into this memo, and will intersperse that information with additional comments in the underlined headings below. Over the next several years Orange County will be making decisions on the development of several Solid Waste facilities. These facilities may include a Materials Recovery Facility, a C &D disposal facility, composting operation, and /or a C &D recycling facility. A transfer station will be needed to replace the lined MSW landfill when capacity is reached in six or seven years. This memorandum discusses the possible timelines for development of the facilities noted above and possible locations for these facilities. The primary area of focus is on or adjacent to the existing solid waste facilities on Eubanks Road. We also briefly discuss the concept of regional facilities. This memorandum does not assume that any facilities will actually be developed (excepting the transfer station), but merely discusses where such facilities may be located if pursued. This memorandum does not assume a new countywide landfill siting initiative or the use of the Greene Tract for any solid waste purpose. Deed restrictions limit the Neville Tract's availability for future solid waste uses and will not be available in any event until about 2007, due to soil removal operations. Transfer Station The existing municipal solid waste landfill south of Eubanks Road is expected to reach capacity in about January of 2007. In order to have a transfer station in place ready to receive local wastes when needed, we believe that the following process should be considered: FY 2000/01 — Establish a solid waste reserve fund that will provide annual contributions which will meet the expenditure requirements of a transfer station. Additionally, a site should be selected so that if it is on property not currently owned by the solid waste enterprise fund, additional funds can be set aside for the purchase of the site. Include in the solid waste reserve fund for Equipment, annual contributions to provide funds for purchase of transfer tractor /trailer equipment. FY 2000/01- 2004/05 — Reserve funds for design of the transfer station. January 2004/05 — Begin design of transfer station. Summer 2005 — Submit permit application. Fall 2005 — Bid transfer station construction. Winter /Spring 2006 — Began transfer station construction. Fall 2006 — Complete construction of transfer station. Construction & Demolition Landfill The existing C &D landfill is expected to reach capacity, with the recently approved vertical expansion, by about July 2002. No decision has been made regarding a replacement disposal facility. We understand that only the Eubanks Road site is still officially under consideration. A site plan application is currently under review, but we have received preliminary indications from the State that subject to our meeting several procedural requirements, that site will receive a certificate of Site Suitability. If the Eubanks Road site is to be selected, we believe a decision should be made no later than the summer of 2001 in order for us to have the site designed, permitted and constructed to receive waste in the summer of 2002. This site would allow us to pursue only a one -year timeline due to the extensive amount of permitting work already completed at this location. Construction & Demolition Recycling Facility The Construction & Demolition Task Force has presented a report to the BOCC regarding recommendations for reducing and recycling C &D wastes. Some of their recommendations could involve the need for space to physically conduct recycling and /or marketing operations. Depending on the Board's decisions to pursue some or all of these recommendations, we believe that about 3 -10 acres could be necessary for non - disposal C &D management. Several of the potential C &D recycling /waste reduction recommendations could be implemented even if the BOCC elects to discontinue disposal operations. Ideally, if we are to continue C &D disposal operations, recycling operations would most efficiently be conducted at or near that disposal facility. If we intend to meet existing waste reduction goals by 2006, a timeline can be prepared which will allow us to reach the goal. The sooner the recycling programs are implemented, the sooner we can begin reducing the amount of waste disposed. Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) The adopted Solid Waste Management Plan envisions a MRF as the cornerstone of a solid waste management system designed to meet our aggressive recycling goals. Considerable effort has been expended by the Landfill Owners Group, including BOCC representatives, toward discussing the feasibility of such a facility in Orange County. At this time, no decision has been made regarding whether a MRF will be built, whether waste reduction goals will be modified, or whether we will re- establish our MRF discussion through the Solid Waste Advisory Board. As with C &D recycling, the sooner the Solid Waste Management Plan is implemented, the sooner we can begin reducing the amount of waste disposed. A timeline will be developed, pending direction from the BOCC. 5 Solid Waste Administrative Offices Within the next few years the Town of Chapel Hill will likely be relocating several operations to a new location. They must leave UNC property at the end of the current lease agreement. The Town is actively considering relocation options. The Solid Waste Management Department administrative building is co- located with Chapel Hill facilities at this location. We would suggest initiating a plan for this relocation soon so that a new site can be located, and that the Manager provide guidance as to his and the BOCC's intentions. A financing strategy can then be developed. We believe we should consider relocation of solid waste administration to the Eubanks Road area to become integrated with our landfill operations. A new facility could incorporate the offices of the landfill engineer, landfill manager, recycling operations supervisor and disposal operations supervisor with the existing staff now co- located with Chapel Hill Public Works. Current landfill office and employee facilities were originally foreseen as temporary when established many years ago. Our recycling equipment/supplies storage requirements currently maintained at the Public Works facilities would also be needed at any new facility. Potential Facility Locations We have previously discussed with the BOCC the possible acquisition of several pieces of real property. We recommend that the Board consider this topic again in closed session in the very near future. Existing Solid Waste Property A Mini Master Plan was developed for the existing landfill property by RRSI, our MRF consultant, in February 1999. This plan discussed the possibility of locating multiple facilities on existing landfill property as well as the feasibility of incorporating a C &D disposal site on adjacent property. The conclusion of the consultant was that multiple facilities could be reasonably located on landfill property (and adjacent property, if disposal was included). We believe this assessment is a little too optimistic because of a transportation flow that we believe in practice, will be complicated and confusing for our customers and possibly raise safety issues due to the amount of crossing traffic. The plan also provides little accommodation of C &D recycling /waste reduction activities. It is also based on an outdated assumption regarding the potential location regarding a C &D disposal site, using an earlier version that Duke University did not support. Depending on what is contemplated, the existing property could be considered a primary location for some of the facilities. If a C &D disposal facility and C &D recycling and waste reduction is considered, we suggest locating a MRF elsewhere to allow for the most efficient and safe of both facilities. Millhouse Road Area The Town of Chapel Hill has been examining the feasibility of new Public Works, Transportation, Housing, and Maintenance facilities on mostly vacant land located between Millhouse Road and Interstate 40. If those sites remain available and the Town elects to pursue them, there would be an opportunity for the BOCC to consider adjacent property for solid waste purposes that could be properly zoned, etc. as part of the Town's process. Public Works and 6 solid waste activities could be seen as compatible and complimentary. This property could be considered for any of the anticipated future solid waste facilities. Regional Opportunities Considerable time and interest has been devoted by both staff and elected officials to the possibility of regional opportunities in solid waste management. TJCOG maintains a standing Solid Waste Planners Committee who has considered various regional opportunities. The regional household hazardous waste (HHW) program is one success story regarding regional cooperation. No specific regional option is now under serious consideration, however, TJCOG has been working to prepare a plan for following up on the Future Search Seminar of late February 2000. Perhaps some additional regional efforts will be identified and pursued in the future. It is also possible, however, that either no additional regional activity will result, or that it may take many years to develop acceptable regional options. Even with regional scenarios, something must be sited somewhere, and larger and busier regional facilities are even more difficult to site. Orange County may not want, or may be unable to wait indefinitely to deal with its solid waste issues. A more effective and practical regional approach will likely involve only two or three counties rather that a large multi- county region. This approach was considered when local officials were discussing a MRF last year, with some interest shown by Alamance,and Chatham Counties. UNC and Duke University also expressed considerable interest. Solid Waste Staff Recommendations 1. Discuss the potential acquisition of certain properties in the vicinity of the current landfill property on Eubanks Road, as soon as possible, and authorize the Manager to proceed to acquire such properties using funds from the landfill reserve account "Acquisitions and Construction ", and authorizing the use of eminent domain, if necessary. 2. Decide that there will be a new C &D landfill at the Eubanks Road site currently under consideration by granting local government approval pursuant to 15A NCAC 13B .0504(1)(e)(1). 3. Adopt a resolution at a future BOCC meeting formally stating BOCC intentions to locate a transfer station at current solid waste facilities on the north side of Eubanks Road. 4. Request that staff, following a final decision regarding a new C &D landfill, prepare a master site plan for all properties owned or being acquired on Eubanks Road, that would include: a) transfer station b) C &D recycling facilities; c) white goods facilities d) scrap tire facilities e) yard waste and mulching facilities f) scale facilities g) administrative offices h) equipment parking and maintenance facilities i) necessary storage facilities j) C &D landfill k) other facilities necessary or attendant to the above facilities; 5. Refer discussion of facilities related to the Solid Waste Management Plan to the Solid Waste Advisory Board, with the intention of amending the facilities master plan once final decisions regarding the plan are made by the BOCC. 6. Direct staff to prepare preliminary recommendations regarding the design of a new solid waste administrative building.