KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Transcription

1 KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES Waste Levels of water & air pollution at the landfill Municipal solid waste diversion rate Amount of landfill space available Miles waste travels for processing Desired Outcome: The amount of waste is minimal, and waste management choices protect the environment. The consumption of material resources and the waste generation that accompanies it can result in contamination of our air, land and water. Wastes are minimized through diversion and reuse whenever possible, which maximizes the life of the current landfill while avoiding pollution. When waste must be disposed, it is done so responsibly. Learn more about Waste as a key environmental sustainability theme for the community. Navigate to view each dashboard measure

2 Levels of water & air pollution at the landfill Processing Aspen s waste has potential negative effects on the surrounding environment. The PCSWC opened in 1964¹ and is unlined, meaning that has the potential to leach pollutants into groundwater as well as into the air. By measuring the levels of air and water pollution at the PCSWC, Aspen can better manage waste to reduce those impacts on the environment. The City of Aspen manages its hazardous materials to prevent harmful substances from being added to the landfill. Supporting chemical management practices is vital to not add harmful substances to the waste stream. Unfortunately, pollution can occur as a result of waste that was buried decades ago. For example, if a violation were to occur today, it might be because of waste deposited in the 1970s. The PCSWC is responsible for reporting environmental impacts to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE). Air pollution accounts for visible emissions, odor, and disposal of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Seven different groundwater monitoring wells exist on-site at the PCSWC and are regularly monitored for levels of organic and inorganic compounds. Instances of air and groundwater pollution in 2016 are cited below. The facility does have known impacts to groundwater quality on-site and has worked under a corrective measures plan since This is not groundwater remediation but rather a plan to use best management practices to minimize on-going and future impacts. There are no known impacts to groundwater quality above the groundwater standard at or beyond the property boundary. Figure 1. Pitkin County Solid Waste Center: Compliance or Violation with CDPHE and EPA Pollution Regulations Type of Pollution Air 2 Surface Water 3 Groundwater 4 Compliant? No- lack of permit* Yes Yes *Permit has since been submitted and is pending approval. The target is that groundwater pollutants and greenhouse gases will remain below the CDPHE limits for remediation. Important to note is that the site is in compliance with all corrective measures stipulated by the CDPHE, which are resulting in positive remediation. Household hazardous waste collection at the Pitkin County Waste Center. Figure 2. Strategies to Limit the Pollution Created by Aspen s Waste Further encourage and/or require proper disposal of electronic waste. Further encourage and/or require composting. Limit hazardous waste by incentivizing landscapers, property managers, and residents to use nonharmful treatments and properly dispose of containers. Household Hazardous Waste is not Trash! HHW includes: Cleaners and Solvents, Motor Oils and Fuels, Paints and Stains, Fertilizers, Pesticides, and Insecticides, Devices that contain Mercury (Thermostats, CFLs), Batteries. Learn how to properly dispose of HHW near Aspen: Data was sourced from the Director of the Pitkin County Solid Waste Center and from Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. Sources: [1] 2014 Annual Groundwater Report: Pitkin County Solid Waste Center, Pitkin County, Colorado. Rep. Lakewood, CO: Golder Associates, Print. [2] [Photo] Johnson, Jack.

3 Municipal solid waste diversion rate This measure describes the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW), or the everyday waste generated by homes and businesses, is recycled or composted and therefore prevented from entering the landfill. Burying the minimum possible amount of waste in the landfill is an essential part of waste management. Recycling, composting and reuse rates show Aspen s progress towards achieving minimal burial of municipal solid waste (waste that would go in a trash can, which does not include construction debris). In 2017, the Aspen community diverted 27% of its municipal solid waste (MSW) through recycling and composting (Figure 1). This is below the statewide 2016 diversion MSW diversion rate of 19 percent,¹ but lower than the 2016 national average of 34.6 percent.² Figure 1 diversion rate increases in 2011 and 2012 may be attributable to a decrease in visitor activity in Aspen. Figure 2 shows the results of a trash audit, conducted at the PCSWC in It indicates that 85% of MSW stream is organics, paper, plastics, metals, and glass, most of which could be diverted through composting and recycling (though once soiled, some items cannot be recycled). Aspen has ample opportunity to expand what it diverts to decrease the volume that has to be landfilled. Pitkin County and Aspen are in the midst of developing a Roaring Fork Valley Comprehensive Waste Diversion Plan.³ This report proposes projects that will dramatically increase diversion of both municipal solid waste and debris from construction and demolition. 35% 30% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 13% 11% 14% Figure 1. Waste Diversion Rate 0.4% 1.2% 29% 0.9% 0.7% 19% 21% By 2035, diversion rates in Aspen will be at least 50%. As Aspen s diversion rate in 2017 is estimated at 27%. Note that this target may be reevaluated after the Waste Study is presented to City Council and further direction is given on how to proceed. 1.5% 1.0% 16% 15% % Recycling % Compost 2% A waste hauler depositing a compost load at the Pitkin County Landfill. Figure Municipal Solid Waste Composition (by weight) Hazardous/Special 6% Diversion rates cannot take into account the substances that residents choose to reuse instead of recycle or compost. Figure 1 data is compiled from annual hauler reports, which are self-reported and not verified by an outside source. Haulers base the recycling quantities that they report on number of customers and the volume of their bins. These are the only available source of diversion data and are unfortunately not corroborated for consistency or accuracy. Sources: [1] Colorado Department of Health & Environment. Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division: 2017 Annual Report to the Colorado General Assembly [2]"Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency. [Figures 1 and 2 data] Chapman, Liz. [Photo] Menges, Chris Organics 36% Residue 9% Paper 20% Glass 6% Metals 4% Plastics 19%

4 Amount of landfill space available Built in 1964, the Pitkin County Landfill is a finite space that is approaching its capacity. When the space is full, Aspen will be forced to transport trash to other landfills, the closest of which are in Rifle, Eagle, Delta, and the Front Range. By measuring the years of life remaining on the landfill lifespan, Aspen can gauge the success of diversion efforts and plan for the future. As of spring 2018, the Pitkin County Landfill estimates that it has 7.5 years of operation left, an accelerated decrease from the 2017 estimate of years. 1 This determined by the factors displayed in Figure 1. As these factors change, estimated landfill life will fluctuate. The Landfill has also developed a proposal, pending approval, to add an expansion (Figure 2) to the landfill to extend its life for approximately 5-7 more years, 3 and an additional expansion that could add as much as 52 years. 4 The working surface of the Pitkin County Landfill.² Figure 1. Factors Influencing Landfill Lifespan Add to Lifespan Reduction in trash volume Increased diversion of reusable, recyclable, and compostable products Increased trash compaction Low-volume Spray-on daily cover* Reduce Lifespan Increase in trash volume Increase in construction and demolition debris Reduced trash compaction High volume daily cover* Current compost processing Proposed Expansion Area *For health and safety purposes, the working surface of the landfill is covered each night. The volume of this cover impacts remaining space available. Future compost processing Figure 2. Pitkin County Landfill and Proposed Expansion Area By 2020, the landfill will have at least 15 years of lifespan remaining. This target is not being met. Increasing diversion of commercial food waste, yard waste, and construction and demolition debris is essential to helping Aspen reach this target. Policies that limit the addition of material into the landfill, reward reuse, and encourage purchasing with recycled materials are also vital. Estimated Landfill Lifespan was generated by the Pitkin County Landfill, through data they hold in regards to space available, incoming trash, and compaction rate. This is the only available data of its kind, and has not be evaluated for accuracy by a third party. Sources: [1][2][3] Hall, Cathy. Director of the Pitkin County Landfill. 27 Apr [Figure 1 data][4] Chapman, Liz [Figure 2] Courtesy of Pitkin County Solid Waste Center. Hall, Cathy. [Photo] Menges, Chris

5 Miles waste travels for processing This measure compares the distances that Aspen s various waste types travel in one direction, as well as the number of haulers per waste type. Managing Aspen s waste has associated environmental costs, many of which are tied to the transportation of waste, including fuel consumption, road traffic, and air pollution. These factors take an economic and social toll as well. As seen in Figure 1, in 2017, Aspen s municipal trash, which represented ~20% of the waste stream, and travels either 8 miles to the Pitkin County Solid Waste Center (PCSWC) or 40 miles to the South Canyon landfill location. Diverted organics for compost (~2 % of waste stream) and some of Aspen s construction and demolition (C&D) (~80% of the waste stream) also went to the PCSWC. When the landfill at the PCSWC eventually fills, the transportation costs of trash and C&D (which combined are most Aspen s waste) will increase considerably. Figure 2 describes strategies for extending the life of the landfill. Diverted recycling, which measures ~20% of the waste stream, and electronic waste (State regulations prohibit from landfills) travels 210 miles to Denver to be processed. Due to the global economics of the recycling industry, Aspen has little control over where its recyclables travel after sorting. What the community can influence is where recycling is initially hauled. Supporting local recycling transfer stations, as well as encouraging reuse within the valley will reduce the environmental footprint of Aspen s recycling. Figure 1. Aspen s Waste Transportation Statistics C&D 2 Waste type Processing Distance from Destination Aspen # of haulers Trash PCSWC 8 miles 6 South Canyon 40 miles ~ 2 Recycling PCSWC 8 miles 4 Denver ~200 miles 2 Compost PCSWC 8 miles 1 residential 2 commercial South Canyon 40 miles (divided among Grand Junction 130 miles destinations) PCSWC 8 miles 168 commercial Denver ~200 miles E-Waste Denver ~200 miles 1 (twice a year) No target. The public Rio Grande Recycling Center Figure 2. Strategies to Reduce the Distance that Waste Travels, and Associated Transportation Emissions Conserve the life of the Pitkin County Landfill. Reuse construction and demolition debris. Divert and process organics into compost. Regulate the number of trucks hauling waste in Aspen. Encourage local processing and use of materials, such as asphalt, glass, metal, and wood. Due to data availability, this report only measures miles traveled within the state of Colorado, which reduces the values of recycling travel. Once sold to brokers, recycling will continue to travel to different locations to be used and processed elsewhere, except for e- waste, which is processed in Colorado. Sources: [1] Liz Chapman, City of Aspen Senior Environmental Health Specialist. [2] Hilary Burgess, Pitkin County. [Photo] O Connell, Liz. [Figures 1,2 data] City of Aspen Department of Environmental Health.