Resource recovery park a potential spot for alt-energy
producers
Plans to expand the county landfill on 133 acres south and west
of the current John Smith Road site include a resource recovery
park that officials hope will attract energy-producing and
manufacturing businesses to the area.
Resource recovery park a potential spot for alt-energy producers
Plans to expand the county landfill on 133 acres south and west of the current John Smith Road site include a resource recovery park that officials hope will attract energy-producing and manufacturing businesses to the area.
The 30-acre recovery park would feature a recycling drop-off area, green and wood waste collection and processing areas, a reusable items center as well as hazardous waste and e-waste recycling. Plans also call for the county to devote up to 15 acres of the park to businesses that can use landfill gas or other energy produced on-site.
“From alternative energy to alternative waste disposal, we’re hoping to be uniquely positioned to take advantage of those kinds of processes,” said Mandy Rose, the county’s Integrated Waste Management director. “If someone comes to us and says, ‘We can take the organic portion of your waste treatment and create energy,’ we want to be ready to jump on those opportunities.”
The county Board of Supervisors last week authorized staff to start the application process – including an environmental impact report – for a new solid waste facility at the county-owned land near the current landfill, which has operated since 1968. Supervisors also authorized research into any zoning changes or General Plan amendments that the Planning Department deems necessary for the Resource Recovery Park.
Rose said the next step is for her to interview consultants who could perform the EIR and begin discussions about a design for the resource recovery area.
“We anticipate the whole process [for environmental review and permitting] to take a couple of years and we certainly have the capacity at the current site, but this is to get us going,” she said.
A consultant’s report shows that the John Smith Road Landfill has 18.3 years of remaining capacity if the current yearly capacity of 91,250 tons (250 tons per day) stays steady. When a landfill has 15 years of capacity remaining, the state requires that plans are made for expansion.
The county-owned land adjacent to the landfill is expected to have an additional 75 years of capacity, based on the current 250-tons-per-day average. By initiating the environmental and permitting work now, the county can transition its waste disposal and recycling efforts to the new landfill as the current site reaches capacity.
“By including the zoning and other planning work necessary for the Resource Recovery Park in the environmental studies for the landfill, the county will be sending a clear message that they are serious about attracting the appropriate businesses to this area,” Rose wrote in a report to the Board of Supervisors. “If we build it, we’ll be better positioned for the businesses to come.”
The county has budgeted $300,000 for environmental and other consulting work related to the new landfill and resource recovery park, though Rose anticipates some of that money will be rolled over to next year as the process continues.
The cost of expanding the landfill has not been determined, though Rose said that work on a three-acre module at the current site cost “close to $2 million.” The new landfill will be developed in one module – or cell – at a time, with more cells created as disposal space is required. Work on the first cell at the new site isn’t expected to begin for three to four years, according to Rose.
A likely scenario, she noted, would be for the company contracted to operate the landfill to pay the capital costs of creating each cell at the new site, spreading that cost over the life of its contract with the county.
“Economics pretty much dictate that you extend the contract to the life of the landfill go get the best bang for the buck for the taxpayer,” Rose said, noting that issue will be discussed by supervisors at a later date.
“We’re positioning ourselves to work with green businesses,” she said. “We’re really excited to have this opportunity available. When people know the land is already zoned for energy production, it makes it a lot more tangible. It could create jobs and hopefully be a benefit for the county.”
Rose will provide quarterly reports to supervisors on the status of the landfill expansion and expects to have information sooner than that regarding the consultant that will begin the environmental impact work.
