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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSWAG quick report 111612Quick Report FROM: Name of Advisory Board: Solid Waste Advisory Board SUBJECT: Monthly Meeting DATE: November 16, 2012 LOCATION: Sold Waste Administration Building 1207 Eubanks Road Chapel Hill ______________________________________________________________________ MEMBERS PRESENT: Jan Sassaman, Chair & Chapel Hill Rep., Remus Smith, Hillsborough Liaison, Steve Yuhasz BOCC Liaison MEMBERS ABSENT: Jim Ward, Chapel Hill Rep., BJ Tipton UNC liaison . STAFF PRESENT: Gayle Wilson, Blair Pollock, Jennie Knowlton, Cody Marshall, Paul Spire VACANCIES: Carrboro (2), Hillsborough (1) and Orange County (2) _____________________________________________________________________ Beginning time of meeting: 7pm November 14, 2012 Old Business: None New Business: None Approved August 2012 minutes 2-0. Detailed discussion of Solid Waste Consultant’s study for Town of Chapel Hill and how that might impact the future of the SWAB or its successor organization. Discussion of the SCS recommendations to the Town and the Town staff memo. Short term the Town will propose to haul to the Waste Industries Transfer Station in Durham County and amend budget to buy $380,000 in new trucks to make hauling more efficient. Discussion of the possible siting of transfer station on the ten acres between existing Public Works facility and Bus/Transit facility. The site seems useful only for Chapel Hill and possibly Carrboro, probably too small to accommodate all County MSW and recycling transfer bay. Cost over $80/ton even with Carrboro included. Wilson notes issue of control if you have your own transfer station and without that, you have no control over the waste stream or ability to enforce regulations. Report recommends that the Town will continue to bring yard waste and white goods to County but explore future organic waste options with UNC. Staff summarized various other recommendations and observations. There is some sense that either Chapel Hill or Orange County could reconvene the Interlocal Agreement work group which has a designated membership, but it is not obvious who will take the lead or when. It was noted that no one seems to be taking the leadership role in re-engaging on the Interlocal Agreement in a deliberative manner. Programs and Services Update: Walnut Grove Road SWCC Construction is continuing, walls are poured and pads due to be poured later in November. The current rate of work may result in completion by the end of December but it will take a few weeks to make sure everything’s working well for opening the 2 site. The alternate recycling site at Cedar Grove Park is working well with no more illegal dumping than at other unstaffed sites. Landfill Closure is being planned for June 30 and we are proceeding to prepare. Hauling waste to Durham will begin the following day. Storm debris management: Planning for emergency storm debris management is continuing and given the County will no longer have the manpower or space to take care of the storm debris from a major event, private contractors are being considered. County has not yet identified specific sites other than the landfill for managing storm debris in the rest of the County. Towns could be incorporated into our county-wide plan for storm debris management if they wish. Landfill gas recovery system: The generator should arrive next week and the gas pipeline hooked up and ready to fire it up by early December and make electricity instead of flaring the gas. The flare station will still be used when there is excess gas that cannot be used to generate electricity. The landfill gas is 56% methane, richer than projected or the industry average of 50%. There is a 20 year lease with an additional five year option if gas is still being produced at that time. Rural curbside recycling roll cart purchase is delayed as are the two replacement recycling trucks for that program. SWAB advised that the long term viability of the Rural Curbside component of the 3R Fee has been brought into question. Other issues: Staff is currently working through the operational details of what the landfill hours should be next fiscal year and how to continue operating the C&D landfill and other facilities with the drastically reduced staff. Such details as how to deal with garbage that comes into the C&D landfill mixed with construction debris and other similar daily operational issues will have to be resolved. Staff is initiating master planning process for Eubanks Road site that would move operations including the scales to the north side of Eubanks Road. There are issues remaining with future use of the jointly owned Greene tract and with the County owned sixty acres. Reimbursements for the Greene tract will end in FY 2012-13. The County has yet to determine future use or payment to the enterprise fund for the sixty acres. Remus Smith says Hillsborough has not decided what it will do with its waste but will likely follow the County lead i.e. go to City of Durham transfer station. Wilson notes that the Interlocal Agreement with the City of Durham would allow all the Towns to also go there if they chose to do so. Meeting adjourns: 8:45pm. December SWAB meeting decision pending.