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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0051.005 2004-2006 JN~~'~~ N~!Y 4~•' _ " ~1~°'~% Barbara Bell Harry Kim D(rec(or , Nelson Ho •>E oi'M~'N Ueputy Director C~aun#g ~f ~tzfiTttii DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 25 Aupuni Street, Roam 210 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720-0252 (808) 961-8083 • Fax (808) 961-8086 cohdem@in[erpaene[ January 24, 2005 FPC{EIVc4 lime----~ '!>l~.rlt ~--.f7'---- The Honorable Gary Safarik, Chair a.14a____d!~Z!~.r~.-___~_. And Council Members c „nt+ c.n:,~~~ Hawaii County Council 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, HI 96720 RE: BILL 18: GREENWASTE TIPPING FEE Dear Council Members, At the January 21, 2005 Council meeting, Bill 18 was postponed until the next Council meeting. I would like to clarify some of the issues involved with this program so that you may better understand why we are proposing an island-wide greenwaste tipping fee. The Department immediately began implementing the Update to the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan after it passed Council approval in November 2002. The transitions from where we were to where we want and need to be will involve change. We have a plan so the changes are taken in a logical way. The goals of the greenwaste and an organics diversion program are to: • Maintain compliance with Department of Health regulations. • Reduce costs associated with landfilling. • Gain precious air space in the island's landfills by eliminating additional acceptable organic materials such as contaminated cardboard, food and wood waste, and extending landfill life. • Provide an incentive to separate acceptable organics from mixed solid waste loads. • Promote value-added local businesses. Locally-made compost product substitutes for imports and reduces cost of business for landscape and agriculture industry. Reduce fire risks and labor costs to the County relating to managing mulch piles. • Eventually produce a certified compost which will: • Reduce shipping of imported compost, providing space for other commodities. • Give landscapers a quality product to take home, after they have dropped unprocessed organics and greenwaste. • Reduce risks of spreading unwanted pests, pathogens and weed species. • Eliminate the health issues stemming from fugitive dust and foul odors. •S Hnwoii County is un equal apporluniry provider and employer. COfTItT1. NO. Ref. To: ~ Ref. Uate Hawaii County Council January 24, 2005 Page 2 • Add approximately 15 new jobs, island-wide. Real issues concerning the present program: • Given the incoming quantities, there is insufficient space at the present location to safely process into mulch. Composting is not possible at either East or West Hawaii sites due to space and rainfall issues. • Public funds are being spent to benefit local businesses. This is unfair to those who pay property taxes and to other businesses that pay for their disposal. • There are two options for actual revenue: 1) further General Fund subsidy to the Solid Waste Fund; or 2) implement a commercial greenwaste tip fee, at 25% of our solid waste tip fee that will resul in revenues of approximately $300,000 to $325,000 in FY 05-06. Other information: Department of Health Reouirement for greenwaste diversion grogram: Department of Health, Hawaii Administrative Rules Title 11, Chapter 58.1 'Solid Waste Management Control' 11-58.1-65 Special solid waste controls. (b) Green wastes. Solid waste disposal facilities shall have in place by December 31, 1994, a plan to ban or require source separation of green waste from entering the disposal facility. The plan shall detail requirements for diversion of seventy- five percent of all commercially generated green waste by December 31, 1995 and fifty percent of all residential green waste by December 31, 1996. If, based on data submitted by the operator as part of the annual report, these diversion rates are not achieved, all commercial green waste shall be banned from the facility by December 31, 1995, and residential green waste by December 31, 1996." Short history of greenwaste program: Average Fiscal Year Total Price Endin Hilo Kona Total/Tons % increase Amount/$ er Ton 1995 150 150 1996 749 749 400% 1997 1,138 1,138 52% 1998 1,498 1,498 32% 1999 3,063 3,063 105% 2000 3,554 2,170 5,724 87% 2001 4,864 4,086 8,951 56% $283,636.11 $31.69 2002 5,794 6,202 11,996 34% $384,496.36 $32.05 2003 7,778 6,392 14,170 18% $452,836.81 $31.96 2004 6,961 10,708 17,669 24% $611,007.05 $34.67 2005** 15,177 15,237 30,415 73% $1,064,513.10 $35.00 " Estimate based on data from July 1 through December 31, 2004 Hawaii County Council January 24, 2005 Page 3 • There is insufficient demand for the current mulch product resulting in liabilities related to stockpiling materials. • County's current greenwaste diversion program allows for both residential and commercial diversion with no tipping fees. • Greenwaste continues to be 10-13% of the waste stream. • We are successfully diverting approximately 66% of our greenwaste from the landfills. Reasons to expand greenwaste diversion to composting and organics diversion: • The largest and most cost effective gains in overall diversion can be achieved quickly through an organics diversion program. Our present landfilling costs, when delivered to the landfill, are estimated at $86 per ton. When taken to one of our 21 rural transfer stations, they are estimated at $100 per ton. Greenwaste processing into mulch costs $35 per ton. With additional processing, compost is expected to cost approximately $55 per ton. • Thirty percent of the waste entering landfills is characterized as organic of which approximately 15% is food waste and 9% is clean (untreated) lumber waste. • Expanding to an organics diversion program allows for additional diversion from landfills by channeling food waste, untreated lumber and other organics which can be included in properly processed compost. • Unprocessed greenwaste is generally not used as fuel stock for incinerators and other types of waste-to-energy technologies as it is mostly water and must be processed first for that type of use. Reasons to upgrade to composting per US Composting Council under its Seal of Testing Assurance program: • Composting produces avalue-added product that is in much demand by our island's diversified agriculture and landscaping industries. • Composting eliminates concerns of spreading invasive weed species and other undesirable alien species including insects, diseases and vertebrate pests such as coqui frogs, fire ants and caterpillars. • Requiring U.S. Composting Council's seal ensures a quality product that meets all requirements relating to public health and safety. Organics diversion program assumptions: • Solid Waste generated on island increases by at least 5% per year. Last year it increased by 16.46% island-wide, with commercial solid waste in West Hawaii increasing by an incredible 28.59%! Greenwaste presently coming into our East and West Hawaii operations is steadily tied to the solid waste stream. Greenwaste is consistently around 9 -10%. • In the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2004, the total island waste stream was 239,447 tons of which 37,663 tons (16%) were diverted and, of that amount, 17,669 tons were greenwaste. It is estimated an additional 9,000 tons of greenwaste entered our island landfills. • Overall diversion from afully-operational organics program is anticipated to be 13.5%. Hawaii County Council January 24, 2005 Page 4 I have endeavored to present a summary of the issues and concerns involved with the greenwaste and organics diversion program. Should you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me or Lono Tyson, Solid Waste Division Chief, at 961-8083 or Eileen O'Hora-Weir, Recycling Coordinator at 961-8942. 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