HomeMy WebLinkAboutSWAG quick report 021512Quick Report
FROM: Name of Advisory Board: Solid Waste Advisory Board
SUBJECT: Monthly Meeting
DATE: February 15, 2012
LOCATION: Sold Waste Administration Building 1207 Eubanks Road Chapel Hill
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MEMBERS PRESENT: Jan Sassaman, Chair & Chapel Hill Rep., Remus Smith Hillsborough
Rep., Al Vickers Carrboro Rep, Steve Yuhasz County Board Liaison, BJ Tipton UNC ex-officio
MEMBERS ABSENT: Linda Bowerman, Carrboro Rep., Jim Ward, Chapel Hill Rep
.
STAFF PRESENT: Gayle Wilson, Blair Pollock, Mary Carlson, Cody Marshall, Paul Spire,
Wendy Simmons (Chapel Hill Solid Waste Services Superintendent)
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Beginning time of meeting: 7pm
Old Business (if any) NONE
New Business
Topic A Approval of January 2012 minutes: Approved 3-0.
Topic B: Followup from January 26 Joint Work Session on Solid Waste Issues
and Rogers Road Community Improvements
Gayle Wilson described the discussion held by the assembled boards from
Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough and Orange County on a list of topics
including:
• Landfill Closure where the boards seemed to reach consensus on a
2013 closure date for the current MSW landfill and subsequent use of the
Durham Transfer Station for at least the County-collected MSW.
Commissioner Yuhasz noted that trucking waste to the Durham Transfer
Station has always been considered an interim step until a better solution
is created. He further noted there seems to be considerable interest in an
in-County solution that does not send the majority of waste out of county
for disposal. A final decision is expected at the February 21 BOCC
meeting.
• Future of Alternative Technologies where Commissioner Yuhasz
mentioned that the SWAB could bring forward an assessment of
alternative technologies in response to the BOCC’s request. That was
narrowed to a request to look specifically at the Chem Tek Entsorga
Mechanical/Biological process for managing mixed MSW. It was noted
that the Board had already received in 2008 a detailed report by
consulting firm GBB that evaluated various solid waste technologies and
2
had referred that report to the BOCC. Wilson suggested SWAB could
develop a new set of criteria by which to evaluate all technologies rather
than try to look at every one individually that included a possible
preference for an in-county facility.
• Single stream conversion wherein due to Chapel Hill’s decision to study
its overall solid waste system comprehensively, the County is
recommending delaying the implementation of roll carts to replace bins in
the urban curbside recycling program, but still considering an overall
move to single stream without carts and continuing the use of bins for
curbside collection. Concern was expressed about loss of revenue from
combining materials without commensurate savings from gains in
efficiency of collection using roll carts. To be further discussed at the
February 21 BOCC meeting.
• Rogers Road Community Improvements: Wilson noted that the County
Attorney’s opinion is that the County is very constrained in what types of
improvements can be funded from the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund and
that the County may create a multi- jurisdictional task force to determine
the scope of improvements and make recommendations for funding them.
• Need for new Interlocal Agreement (ILA). While the current ILA is
deemed inadequate and out-of-date for future trucking of waste out of
County or determining future technologies, no work has begun in
developing a new one or determining the composition of its advisory or
governing board. The larger question of whether to continue to work
together remains unanswered as Chapel Hill determines its own solid
waste future using a consultant’s recommendations pending development
and submission of their report. UNC’s role in any future agreement also
remains undefined. The BOCC may discuss this issue at the February 21
meeting.
• Future of the Solid Waste Advisory Board is very bound to the future
Interlocal Agreement and will be determined as a new agreement is
developed.
Topic C Updates:
Landfill Gas Recovery Project Paul Spire gave a briefing noting that the County
had received its first payment for the destruction of methane for $2,295 for part of
January based on a compensation formula developed by UNC and the County.
Steve Yuhasz will continue to serve as County Commissioner liaison to SWAB. If
the Solid Waste Plan Work Group is reinitiated, Commissioner Pelissier will
replace Commissioner Jacobs as the Board liaison.
Downtown Chapel Hill Pedestrian recycling containers were installed during the
week of February 6 to capture cans and bottles for recycling. Orange County
Solid Waste will service the containers.
Meeting adjourned 9:05 pm
Name of minute taker (s): Blair Pollock and Mary Carlson.