11/25/2006: "SWAC '06' Report: SJI Transfer Station"

Solid Waste Advisory Committee
Report to the San Juan County Council
16 October 2006
May 18, 2006 the Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) began the process of evaluating the solid waste collection, transfer, processing and disposal needs of San Juan Island. A technical team comprised of consultants in the disciplines of engineering, planning, environmental review and meeting facilitation was hired to assist the SWAC regarding the management of solid waste on San Juan Island. The SWAC used four of their regularly scheduled meetings and one open house to develop their recommendations to the Council.

At the May meeting the technical team outlined a process for the SWAC to assess solid waste management services, determine citizens' desires and evaluate regulatory requirements. The scope of the process was limited to San Juan Island in order to address deficiencies at the existing facility identified by regulatory agencies as well as shortcomings identified by citizens.

Subsequent meetings, including an evening open house for the public, examined possible solid waste management options including pyrolisis, gasification, incineration, composting, landfilling, landfill mining and transfer stations. Desirable levels of service for reuse, waste reduction, recycling and curbside collection were identified.

As the process moved toward conclusion discussions focused on whether a transfer station should be constructed on San Juan Island and whether it should be located at the existing site or a new site. Discussion also focused on whether self hauling of household waste should be continued.

The SWAC sponsored an open house on August 21, 2006. Between 120 and 150 people attended. SWAC members and the technical team presented the results of the SWAC's deliberations to date. Attendees shared their views with the SWAC, particularly concerning the option of self-hauling household solid waste.

SWAC Findings:

Construction of a new landfill on San Juan Island is impractical due to the physical, financial and political constraints associated with siting. Constructing, operating and monitoring a landfill costs more than operating a transfer station and poses a greater risk to ground water, surface water and air quality.

Pyrolisis and Gasification are not proven technologies. Even if they were, the obstacles to using these technologies are significant including finding a market for the end product, and the continued need for a landfill or transfer system to deal with residue and bypass wastes. Siting and permitting could take 10 to 15 years.

Composting of municipal solid waste is not a proven technology on an operational scale as previous facilities have had difficulty controlling odor and have failed financially. Additional obstacles include identifying markets, the continued need for landfilling of residuals and bypass waste, increased potential for groundwater contamination and odor as compared to waste transfer.

Incineration of municipal solid waste is a proven technology with a readily identifiable market for energy. However, the shortcomings of the other waste processing systems also affect the practicality of this option. These shortcomings include: increased risk of air and groundwater contamination, a long siting and permitting process of 10 to 15 years, and the continued need for a landfill or transfer station to manage residual and bypass waste.

SWAC members and citizens attending the June 19, 2006 SWAC meeting indicated that landfilling, municipal waste composting, incineration, and landfill mining did not meet the characteristics of a preferred outcome for San Juan Island solid waste management.

High priority characteristics of a preferred outcome as determined by SWAC members and citizens at the June 19 meeting include: emphasis on recycling, safe operation, responsive to community needs, financially secure, cost effective, minimal impact to community, adequately buffered, efficient operation, county management of all systems, implementation of Department of Ecology waste management priorities, equitable county wide and island wide, consistent with the solid waste plan.

The existing transfer facility is inadequate in the following respects:

• The existing truck bay is too short for solid waste transfer trailers
• The tipping floor is 1800 square feet and the recommended minimum is 6000 square feet.
• Trailers must be backed into position rather than pulled through the truck bay
• There is inadequate space to widen the access road
• There is inadequate space to add a second scale
• There is inadequate space to enlarge the tipping floor
• The traffic line up to access scales, at times, extends onto Sutton Road
• The tipping floor is not covered as required by WAC 173-304-410

• There is inadequate space to expand the household hazardous waste facility
• Inadequate space is a function of the size of the leased area, topography of the site, existence of the town landfill and proximity to town facilities.

These inadequacies negatively impact site access, available services, safety, overall capacity, regulatory compliance and customer convenience.

Development of a new facility on an adequately sized site offers the following improvements:

• Additional queuing room for traffic
• Two scales to improve traffic flow and reduce waiting times and traffic queues
• A pull through truck bay that is the same length as the trailers.
• Adequate space for a reuse drop-off facility or other opportunities for waste diversion
• Adequate space for household hazardous waste collection

Development of a new facility may require two or more years to site and construct. Appropriate sites are limited due to the need for access to a major road, proximity to the ferry landing, appropriate land use zoning and adequate size and water supply.

Redevelopment of the existing transfer facility or construction of a new transfer facility offers the following advantages:

• The town incinerator site could be reconfigured to receive wastes or recyclables
• The site is already developed with power and water
• Zoning is already appropriate
• Could incorporate neighboring county property on Sutton Road
• Customers are already familiar with the site therefore disruption to them would be minimized.

Redevelopment of the existing site is limited by the existence of the landfill, which covers the majority of the property. There is additional liability associated with potential groundwater contamination. Construction costs higher than for a new site would result from the need to protect solid waste facilities from landfill gas migration. Town of Friday Harbor building height restrictions limit accommodation of commercial vehicles, although a variance is possible. Steep slopes over 20% limit construction of stormwater ponds and increase cut-and-fill construction costs for new buildings, access roads, parking areas and receiving and processing pads. Finally, the exact location of the edge of existing waste would need to be defined.

Curbside collection of waste throughout the island offers the following advantages:

• Reduces the impact on transfer station neighbors
• Reduces traffic congestion related to solid waste facilities
• Reduces transfer station operational costs
• Reduces the potential need to relocate the transfer station
• Reduces liability and safety issues for the general public
• Makes curbside collection of recyclables feasible.

Implementation of curbside collection would require either redevelopment of the existing site to accept commercial waste only or finding an alternative transfer facility off–island that would accept the waste. (If the Orcas transfer station accepted this material the Orcas facility would need to be upgraded.) Recycling opportunities would need to be provided in a new manner. Alternative methods to provide service to homes that cannot be accessed by the hauler's equipment would need to be developed. A service for bulky waste would be required, and limited self-haul of waste could be accommodated. Benefits associated with universal curbside collection could be reduced environmental impact, such as less traffic, reduced air emissions and less wear and tear on the roads, because fewer vehicles would be hauling small amounts of waste.

However, a clear majority of citizens attending meetings and submitting written comments felt strongly that self-hauling waste was preferable to mandatory curbside collection. Accommodation of self-haul customers increases the size and overall cost of a transfer station compared to the size and cost of a facility for commercial haulers only. Self-haul, however, has been identified as part of the fabric of the community and the opportunity to self-haul should be preserved.

The priorities of both the Washington State and the San Juan County Solid Waste Management Plans are reduction, reuse, and recycling. Therefore these elements must not only be accommodated, but stressed, in the design and construction of solid waste facilities.

Concentration of solid waste management activities on a single site is desirable from customer service, economic and management perspectives. This concentration does create additional impacts on neighbors of the site, increases the size of the site and increases the initial capital cost of developing a solid waste facility.

Conclusions:

Based on these findings, written and oral comments from residents of San Juan Island, and technical data provided by the consultants and public works staff, the San Juan County Solid Waste Advisory Committee concludes the following:

San Juan County should take immediate action to design and construct a new transfer facility at the existing site or a new site to serve San Juan Island. The facility should offer recycling opportunities and accept self-haul waste from individuals.

Landfilling and solid waste processing options are inappropriate for San Juan County because they not only cost more to develop but pose a greater environmental risk of air and ground water contamination than a transfer station.

While curbside collection of solid waste offers some advantages, the public, which is an integral part of any solid waste system, prefers to retain the option of self-hauling their solid waste.
Recommendation for Council Resolution:

WHEREAS: The Solid Waste Advisory Committee is created by RCW 70.95.165 and appointed by the County Council to assist in the development of programs and policies concerning solid waste handling and disposal and to review and comment on proposed rules, policies or ordinances prior to their adoption.

WHEREAS: San Juan County Health and Community Services approval of the temporary operation plan for the existing transfer station is contingent upon identifying a long-term solution for solid waste transfer and a timeline for implementation.

WHEREAS: The Solid Waste Advisory Committee with the assistance of engineers, planners, facilitators and environmental review professionals conducted an open public process to evaluate the solid waste management needs of San Juan Island and the level of service desired by the citizens.

WHEREAS: The Solid Waste Advisory Committee presented their findings and conclusions to the Council regarding the need for a transfer station on San Juan Island and the services that should be provided at the transfer station.

WHEREAS: The County Council has reviewed and accepted the Solid Waste Advisory Committee findings.

NOW, THEREFORE IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED by the San Juan County Council as follows:

San Juan County shall pursue siting and design of a new transfer station to serve San Juan Island. The siting and design shall accommodate solid waste management for a minimum of 20 years and allow for a range of services that includes in rank order:

Municipal solid waste transfer

Collection, transfer and temporary storage of recyclable materials

Self-hauling of both solid waste and recyclable materials

Household hazardous waste collection and temporary storage

Materials exchange or other reuse opportunity

Construction, demolition and land clearing debris recycling

Green waste recycling

The County Council hereby directs the SWAC to initiate the process of site selection and design for a new transfer station.

NOW THEREFORE IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED by the San Juan County Council as follows:
San Juan County shall not:

pursue the construction of a new municipal solid waste landfill on San Juan Island,
invest in waste recovery (i.e. landfill mining) from the existing Town of Friday Harbor Landfill,
invest in incineration of municipal solid waste on San Juan Island,
invest in pyrolysis or gasification of municipal solid waste on San Juan Island.