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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-16-1997 - 8d 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: April 16, 1997 Action Agenda Item No. g SUBJECT: Designation of Town of Chapel Hill as Lead Agency for State Solid Waste Plan DEPARTMENT: Public Works PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) BUDGET AMENDMENT: (Y/N) ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Proposed Orange County Resolution Wilbert McAdoo, ext 2625 3/26/97 LOG Resolution 3/26/97 LOG Staff Memo TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider adopting a resolution that would designate the Town of Chapel Hill as the lead agency for developing and submitting an integrated solid waste management plan to the State of North Carolina. BACKGROUND: State law requires that each local government submit to the State by July 1, 1997, a plan for managing its solid waste. Orange County and its municipalities have been working for a number of years to develop an integrated plan for the management of solid waste throughout Orange County. At its March 26, 1997 meeting,the Landfill Owners' Group (LOG) adopted a resolution requesting that each of the governing boards of the member governments recognize the Town of Chapel Hill as the lead agency in preparing the State solid waste plan. This would lead to effective integration of the current local planning efforts with the statutorily required solid waste plans. Additional background concerning State solid waste planning requirements is provided in the attached LOG staff memo. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board adopt the resolution. r 2 v A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE CHAPEL HILL SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT AS LEAD AGENCY IN PREPARATION OF THE STATE PLAN AND ENABLE THE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE REQUESTS OF AND COORDINATE WITH ORANGE COUNTY STAFF FOR INFORMATION NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE STATE PLAN WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina requires that local governments submit a solid waste management plan by July 1, 1997; and WHEREAS,the State of North Carolina encourages submission of regional plans by cooperating jurisdictions; and WHEREAS,the Orange Regional Landfill Owners Group has already engaged in a joint planning process for integrated solid waste management that involves all four governments within the County; and WHEREAS,the Town of Chapel Hill Solid Waste Department of the Town of Chapel Hill has already acted as staff for that study and gathered much of the information that would be required in the State Plan; and WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill Solid Waste Department has acted as lead staff for most solid waste planning efforts in Orange County; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,that the Orange County Board of Commissioners formally acknowledges that the Town of Chapel Hill is lead agency for development of the State Solid Waste Plan; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,that the Orange County Board of Commissioners hereby authorizes its staff to work directly with Chapel Hill staff to gather the information necessary to complete the State solid waste plan. This is the 16th day of ADhl. 1997. William L. Crowther,Chair 4/8/97 swresldoc 3 A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE MEMBER GOVERNMENTS OF THE LANDFILL OWNERS GROUP TO RECOGNIZE THE CHAPEL HILL SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT AS LEAD AGENCY IN PREPARATION OF THE STATE PLAN AND ENABLE THE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE REQUESTS OF AND COORDINATE WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT STAFF FOR INFORMATION NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE STATE PLAN. WHEREAS The State of North Carolina requires that local governments submit a solid waste management plan by July 1, 1997; and WHEREAS The State of North Carolina encourages submission of regional plans by cooperating jurisdictions; and WHEREAS The Orange Regional Landfill Owners Group has already engaged in a joint planning process for integrated solid waste management-that involves all four governments within the County; and WHEREAS the Town of Chapel Hill Solid Waste Department of the Town of Chapel Hill has already acted as staff for that study and gathered much of the information that would be required in the State Plan; and WHEREAS the Town of Chapel Hill Solid Waste Department has acted as lead staff for most solid waste planning efforts in Orange County; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange Regional Landfill Owners Group requests its member governments formally acknowledge that the Town of Chapel Hill is lead agency for development of the State Solid Waste Plan; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,that the governments hereby authorize their staffs to work directly with Chapel Hill staff to gather the information necessary to complete the State solid waste plan. This is the 26`h day of March, 1997. 4 J Agenda#3 Memorandum To: Landfill Owners Group From: Gayle Wilson, Solid Waste Director Subject: State Solid Waste Planning Requirements Date: March 26, 1997 This memorandum describes the requirements and proposes a timetable for preparation of a local government solid waste plan required by North Carolina statute. The memorandum also recommends that the Owners Group adopt a resolution asking the member governments to designate the Town of Chapel Hill as the lead agency in this planning effort in order to effectively integrate the state requirements and current local efforts in solid waste planning. Background At the January 22, 1997 meeting, the Owners Group adopted a schedule for development and approval of the key elements of an integrated solid waste plan. The schedule is intended to dovetail with the schedule that would be necessary for development and adoption of a plan to meet the North Carolina statutory requirement for a solid waste plan from each local government. The requirements of the state plan are broader and require submittal of far more background information than the integrated plan currently under consideration by the Owners Group. The following are required elements of the state plan: 1. Evaluate the solid waste stream in the geographic area covered by the plan.* 2. Specify per capita municipal solid waste reduction goals for June 30, 2001 and June 30, 2006. The goal(s) should be determined so as to assist the State...to achieve the State's 40% municipal solid waste reduction goal. Municipal waste includes all waste landfilled(mixed solid waste, mixed construction and demolition waste, coal ash) except Landclearing and Inert Debris (LCID). 3. Design the plan to achieve the goals specified in the plan. 4. Include a description of the plan development and public participation process. 5. Include an assessment of current programs and intended actions with respect to: a. source reduction , b. collection of solid waste N and recyclables, c, recycling and reuse,* d. composting and mulching,* e. incineration with energy recovery, f. incineration without energy recovery, g. transfer of waste outside the planning region,* h. disposal,* 2 5 6. Include an assessment of current programs and a description of actions with respect to: a. Education* b. Management of Special wastes N c. Prevention of illegal disposal and management of litter N d. Purchase of recycled materials 7. Include a description and assessment of the full cost of solid waste management and methods of financing those costs N. 8. Consider the use of private sector solid waste management and resources and facilities.* We have placed an asterisk next to those elements which have already been accomplished and for which data are readily available. There are several aspects of the planning process that will involve significant data gathering efforts by each local jurisdiction. We have placed an N next to those elements. As part of the action plan outlined in this memorandum, we will request that the Owners Group authorize Solid Waste Department Staff to request staff cooperation from each local jurisdiction to gather the information required to complete the plan. Over the next three months, the staff expects to devote considerable time and effort to preparing the state plan and refining the elements of the integrated plan agreed on by the members of the Owners Group. In our opinion, the integrated plan addresses primarily item 3 in the list of items to be included in the state plan. The staff work will consist of completing and refining costs and implementation estimates for item 3 as well the other elements of the State Plan requirements that need further work An example is if the local ordinances for control of illegal dumping and littering were to be changed to enable easier prosecution of dumpers and litterers, additional staff work would be required. Discussion The focus of the discussion section is on those elements of the state plan listed above on which the Owners Group has not yet acted or where the staff has not already gotten the necessary information or needs local government efforts to gather the information. The elements that require additional Owners Group attention are referred to below by the same number as in the list above. Any item not referenced is an item that has been accomplished or can be accomplished by Solid Waste Department staff. We have also presented a timetable for adopting the elements necessary to complete the state plan coincident with the integrated plan schedule already adopted by the Owners Group. Even if the Owners Group schedule is met, submitting a 100% completed state plan will be difficult by the July 1 deadline. We will make every effort at full compliance. 4 3 6 Item 2 goal setting for waste reduction The Owners Group and its member governments have adopted a solid waste reduction goal of 50% for mixed solid waste. Using a base year of 1988-89, the year prior to full scale implementation of recycling in Orange County, we landfilled 1526 pounds of waste per capita. In 1995-96, we landfilled 1,093 pounds per capita. That is a 28% reduction in landfilling of mixed solid waste per capita. We believe that very little mixed solid waste generated in Orange County was buried elsewhere so the reduction in waste per capita is realistic. ACTION: To satisfy the requirement of the State Plan, the Owners Group needs to determine the year for meeting the 50% goal and a reduction goal for both 2001 and 2006. We note the State goal is 40% waste reduction by 2001. If the 50% goal is for mixed solid waste only,the Owners Group needs to establish a separate goal and plan for reducing construction and demolition wastes. Last July, the Owners Group recommended a goal of 25% reduction of construction and demolition waste, this goal was not adopted by the member governments. Subsequently, the Owners Group took no action on items that could have enabled progress towards a reduction of construction and demolition waste. Failure to adopt a goal and a plan for reducing construction and demolition waste will result in it counting against mixed solid waste reduction and potentially canceling out any reductions achieved,because shipping waste out of county does not count towards reduction goals. ACTION: The Owners Group should consider a separate goal and plan for reducing construction and demolition waste reduction, recognizing that a plan to meet this goal would be required. Item 3. Design the plan to achieve the goal This is the integrated plan. ACTION: When the member governments resolve outstanding questions now before them on the integrated plan and receive input at the public hearing scheduled for May 22, then the Owners Group may synthesize the recommended solid waste system that forms the basis of the plan to achieve the goal(s). Item 4. A description of the plan and public participation process The adoption of the May 22 public hearing date for the integrated plan extends to the state plan requirement. That hearing will meet the minimum requirements. There has been significant public participation in both the integrated plan and other solid waste planning efforts over the past seven years. Description of the plan will be determined by the decisions on the integrated plan. ACTION: If the schedule is met, no additional actions are necessary 4 7 Item 5a. Source Reduction There are five options as part of the source reduction (also known as waste prevention) element of the plan. Two types are regulatory measures i.e. mandatory recycling or volume based fees. Those are proposed to be determined by the individual governments. Other source reduction strategies include additional education and non-economic incentives adopted by the Owners Group to support or enhance existing and planned recycling programs. Differential landfill fees as a source reduction strategy will be determined in part by the types of regulatory measures adopted by the local governments. ACTION: Individual governments will determine the volume-based fees and collection bans/mandatory recycling they wish to adopt for each sector. The integrated solid waste management plan will address education, non-economic incentives and differential landfill fees. Item 5b.Solid Waste Collection At this time, the member governments have decided that they shall each continue with their own solid waste collection systems and not integrate with recycling collection or with each others' solid waste collection. ACTION: The member governments should clarify their intent to operate only their own solid waste collection systems and not operate recycling collections nor integrate solid waste collection with each other. Item 5c.Recvcline and Reuse The elements of the integrated plan adopted by the Owners Group will determine the nature of the recycling and reuse programs. ACTION: As directed through the integrated plan Item 5f. Disaosal The Owners Group has not acted on siting future disposal facilities. If no action is taken at the time plan submittal is required we will describe efforts to date to site a new landfill in Orange County and indicate local decisions regarding disposal do not extend ten years into the future, as required by the State plan. ACTION: Finalize siting decision. Item 7.Financing The state plan requires consideration of how costs of solid waste management will be financed. In the past, the Owners Group expressed interest in alternatives to the current financing which is from tipping fees for landfill and recycling and ad valorem taxes for solid waste collection. Future integrated solid waste system costs may require consideration of other sources of funds. If no other decisions are made, we assume that all public financing will continue to be based primarily on these two sources of funds. 1 5 8 ACTION: The Owners Group may wish to consider how the integrated solid waste plan would be financed. Proposed Timetable for State Solid Waste Plan March 26 LOG meeting—continue discussion of unresolved issues for integrated plan. Assemble.elements of the plan to go to public hearing on May 22. Identify outstanding issues. April LOG meeting: Establish dates for reaching mixed solid waste reduction goal of 50%.. Recommend those dates for adoption by the local governments as part of the state plan. Finalize the system framework for the May 22 public hearing. May 22: Use the May public hearing to present information on the state solid waste plan Use the public input to refine the integrated plan and the state plan. June: Synthesize information required for the state plan with the integrated plan. Send the state plan, which will include the integrated solid waste plan, to the member governments for approval. We note that a goal and strategy for construction and demolition waste reduction would be required for the state plan although this waste stream has not been addressed as part of the integrated plan. If no separate goal is established, all construction and demolition tonnage will count against the goal set for mixed solid waste. July 1, 1997. Submit Solid Waste Plan to State Division of Solid Waste Management Recommendations We recommend that the Owners Group: • resolve the remaining issues related to the integrated plan, • consider a separate waste reduction goal and planning strategies for construction and demolition wastes, • adopt a date for reaching the solid waste reduction goals, • consider how the plan will be financed, and • adopt the attached resolution to the member governments.