AGENDA #5d

MEMORANDUM

To:                   Chapel Hill Town Council

From:               Jan F. Sassaman, PhD

Randy Kabrick, P.E.

Subject:           Annual Report from the Solid Waste Advisory Board

Date:               September 11, 2006

This memo outlines the work of the Orange County Solid Waste Advisory Board (SWAB) since our last report to you in September 2005. The SWAB consists of two citizens appointed by the Board of Orange County Commissioners (BOCC) and by the governing bodies of each of the three towns in the county, all signatories to the “Interlocal Agreement” by which solid waste is handled in Orange County. There is a non-voting UNC representative to the SWAB, but UNC at this time has yet to sign the Interlocal Agreement. The first meeting of the SWAB was held six years ago, on 14 September, 2000. The SWAB has met monthly since that time.

The role of the SWAB, as defined in the Interlocal Agreement, is to: “advise the County’s Governing Board on matters related to the [solid waste] system and the Solid Waste Management Plan and Policies.”

Orange County Solid Waste Plan

In 2006, the major focus of the SWAB has been to continue to facilitate and foster dialog, and hopefully consensus, among the elected representatives and staff of the towns and county as we develop a revised Solid Waste Management Plan for the County. This Plan was originally due to the State in the summer of 2006. The added complexity associated with building consensus for how we might handle county-wide solid waste and recycling as the Orange County Landfill approaches the end of its useful life has resulted in delayed schedule for completion of that plan – likely until mid-2007.

The SWAB was tasked in early 2005 by the BOCC to develop a representative working group to assist in the formulation of the 2006 revised Plan. This Solid Waste Plan Work Group consists of staff and elected officials from the three Towns and the County, SWAB members, and UNC representatives. Chapel Hill is represented by Bill Strom and Bill Letteri, as well as by its representatives to the SWAB. This work group has met regularly since April 2005. In 2006, we have worked with a consultant hired by the County to evaluate technical and economic alternatives associated with recycling strategies and in addition have identified and are presently considering a number of issues including:

• Waste Reduction Goal – whether or not to reaffirm the 61% waste reduction goal and the implications of doing so or not doing so.

• Availability of Significant Recyclable Material – how much potentially recyclable material is presently sent to the landfill, and can such materials be economically captured into a recycling stream in sufficient quantity to warrant doing so.

• Processing Options – issues associated with the efficacy and economics of whether or not to process all or part of the recycling stream produced within Orange County.

• Commercial Recycling – issues and economics associated with commercial recycling and increasing participation of the commercial sector in recycling in Orange County.

• Drop-off and Convenience Centers – what might the future role be for Drop-off and Convenience Centers in the event we increase the types of materials that would readily be recycled at the curb.

Waste Transfer Station

The Orange County Landfill is rapidly reaching the end of its useful life. The BOCC has consistently avowed that they will not approve siting of a new solid waste landfill in Orange County. Therefore, before the landfill is closed, Orange County will need a waste transfer station to efficiently transfer waste to “long-haul” trucks to carry it to an as yet unidentified out-of-county disposal facility. 

The SWAB identified a portion of the present landfill property as a suitable (and preferred) location for a waste transfer station. One or more of the County Commissioners requested evaluating the possibility of Orange County using the Durham transfer station, located north of the City of Durham, for transfer of solid waste from collection vehicles to long-haul vehicles. Based on input from County and municipal staff personnel, the SWAB reaffirmed their earlier conclusion that the Eubanks Road landfill property was more suitable for locating the transfer station, and that such a facility should be sited, planned, and constructed expeditiously to be ready when the landfill closes. As part of its consideration, the SWAB felt that a transfer location closer to the centroid of solid waste generation would be more favorable than one in northern Durham County in terms of travel time, collection vehicle useage, manpower considerations, cost, safety, and environmental impacts.

Pending Activities

In addition to continued efforts to develop consensus for the revised Solid Waste Management Plan, the SWAB has a number of issues to deal with in 2006 and beyond  Among these issues are:

• Planning for the new Solid Waste Operations Center and hosting a public meeting to introduce the center,
• Planning for a Waste Transfer Station and other issues associated with eventual landfill closeout (projected in 2010),
• A possible Habitat for Humanity resale store co-located at the landfill area,
• Continued budget monitoring and review,
• Landfill gas utilization issues,
• Convenience Center planning and operation,
• Ongoing and new Solid Waste Department activities and policies,
• Recycling and landfill operations.

Long Term Issues and Concerns

The SWAB continues to be concerned with, and discuss, the tong-term implications for solid waste disposal in Orange County, particularly as the closure of our landfill approaches. While the SWAB recognizes that the BOCC, which has responsibility to provide for disposal of solid waste, continues to affirm that there will be no new landfill in Orange County, the SWAB has maintained, as a consensus view, that Orange County should continue to be responsible for dealing, within the county, with the solid waste that we generate. To that end, the SWAB continues to stress that Orange County needs to plan, site, and develop a final disposal facility within the County, or as part of a regional facility for which Orange County is an active participant, despite the political difficulties inherent in siting such a facility.

Conclusions

It continues to be our desire to reflect your concerns for solid waste operations and issues in Orange County, as well as to advise you on pending issues. Thank you for this opportunity to provide this report to you.