Solid Waste Management Trends in Georgia 2005

Transcription

1 Solid Waste Management Trends in Georgia 25 Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) This presentation addresses the: Changing solid waste management trends in Georgia and the potential impact these trends have on the way local governments manage solid waste generated within their communities. Source of Information: Unless otherwise noted, from DCA s Annual Solid Waste Management Report 1

2 Georgia Disposal Capacity Reported in Million Cubic Yards Total MSWL SL C&D/L Source: Annual Solid Waste Report/EPD Landfill Capacity Reports The amount of available permitted landfill capacity (not necessarily constructed capacity) grew steadily from 1994 through 24. The amount of remaining permitted capacity in SL facilities, the old unlined landfills, declined over the past decade. In 1993 there were over 7 unlined landfills in the state, in 24, only 5 facilities remain. For the most part these facilities receive very small volumes of waste on an annual basis and therefore are expected to last well into the future. The City of Macon s Walker Road landfill is an exception; it receives approximately 35 tons per day of MSW and is expected to close in 217. The amount of Construction & Demolition (C&D) permitted landfill capacity has grown significantly over the past decade; with permitted capacity doubling from 15 million cubic yards in 1996 to 3 million cubic yards in 21. Capacity has since tripled to nearly 9 million cubic yards as of July 24. The state has approximately 26.6 years of permitted MSW disposal capacity and 19.9 years of permitted C&D disposal capacity, based upon the disposal rates reported in 24. It is important to note that this capacity is for permitted airspace, not necessarily active landfill space. As can be seen in the next slides the amount of permitted disposal capacity available within any given region in the state can vary greatly and the available permitted capacity has become increasingly concentrated in fewer, more regional facilities over the past decade. 2

3 Landfill Disposal Capacity <5 years 5-1 yrs 11-2 yrs 2+ yrs Source: Annual Solid Waste Report Permitted Disposal Capacity Change from 1994 to 24 Based upon the municipal solid waste disposal rates reported in 24, the state has approximately 26.6 years of permitted MSW disposal capacity. In contrast, in 1994 the state had less than 1 years of capacity, with many regions of the state having less than 5 years. A complete breakdown of the 24 Remaining Capacity by RDC is as follows: Atlanta Regional Commission 21.2 yrs Central Savannah River Area 167.5* Chattahoochee Flint 18.1 Coastal Georgia 13.3 Coosa Valley 26.7 Georgia Mountains 41.5 Heart of Georgia-Altamaha 17. Lower Chattahoochee 36.6 McIntosh Trail 41.1 Middle Flint 3.3 Middle Georgia 23.3 North Georgia 29. Northeast Georgia 6.3 South Georgia 28.4 Southeast Georgia 28.7 Southwest Georgia 23.5 *Richmond County-Deans Bridge Road MSW landfill is building a new phase that will add 54 million cubic yards capacity. Because the addition is permitted capacity, it is included in the calculation of remaining capacity. 3

4 Concentration of Capacity Number of Permitted Landfills Unlined Subtitle D C&D Source: Annual Solid Waste Report In 1994 there were 92 facilities permitted to dispose municipal solid waste in Georgia. Combining all of their remaining airspace together these facilities had less than 1 years of remaining disposal capacity based upon the disposal practices that year. In 24, there were only 57 facilities permitted to dispose municipal solid waste and even with the per capita increases in the disposal rate since 1994, these 57 facilities combined, have more than 26 years of remaining disposal capacity. (Based upon the disposal practices in 24.) This graph shows the phasing-out of the unlined landfills in the state over the past decade, only 5 facilities remain, the facility with the longest remaining capacity is a landfill operated by the military located in Liberty County, with an estimated 26 years of disposal capacity. Combined, these unlined facilities accept only 1.8% of the waste entering Georgia MSW landfills. This graph also shows the increase in the number of C&D permitted landfills from 22 to 24; from an average of 34 facilities from 1994 to 21 to a total of 53 facilities in 24. Not specifically shown on the graph, but an important number to monitor is the number of solid waste disposal facilities that are under their post-closure care status. As of July 1, facilities in Georgia were under post-closure care status. No facilities were released from their post-closure care requirements in 24. 4

5 Georgia Landfill Permitted Capacity 24 Public vs. Private (in million cubic yards) Public 41 MSW Landfills 37 C&D Landfills 348 Private MSW Landfills 16 C&D Landfills Public Private MSW Capacity C&D Capacity # of MSW Facilities # of C&D Facilities The amount of available remaining permitted disposal capacity in the state is concentrated in a few privately owned and operated landfills in the state. In 24 almost one-third of the remaining permitted landfill capacity within the state was contained in just five (5) facilities. The following list the 5 landfills with the greatest volume of permitted disposal capacity: 1. Cherokee County-Pine Bluff 52.8 million cubic yards 2. Taylor County-Allied Services 38.5 million cubic yards 3. Butts County-Pine Ridge Recycling 38.million cubic yards 4. Forsyth County-Eagle Point Landfill 23.6 million cubic yards 5. Camden County- SR 11 C&D Landfill million cubic yards 6. Banks County - Chambers R&B Landfill 22.1 million cubic yards 5

6 Solid Waste Disposal Infrastructure MSW and C&D Landfills Source: DCA Office of Decision Support This map shows the location of the current permitted MSW and C&D Landfills in the state. As MSW landfills become larger and more regional in scale, it means additional handling and transportation of the waste across local and state roads. 6

7 Georgia s Per Capita Disposal Pounds Per Person Per Day 1994 to Total Waste MSW Georgia MSW Reduction Goal C&D Source: Annual Solid Waste Report DCA/EPD Measuring Progress towards our 25% Waste Disposal Reduction Goal: Annually, DCA reports the State s progress in meeting the waste disposal reduction goal established in the 199 Solid Waste Management Act. Specifically that act stated: It is the intent of the General Assembly that every effort be undertaken to reduce on a state-wide basis the amount of municipal solid waste being received at disposal facilities during fiscal year 1992 by 25 percent by July 1, 1996;... The actual per capita waste disposal reduction rate is very difficult to calculate. The Reduction Goal (green line with triangle) shows the disposal rate based upon a per capita 25% waste disposal reduction rate of the total waste stream disposed in Please note that in 1992 many of the landfills in the State did not have scales and few if any facilities were tracking the types of waste they disposed. In addition, reduction credits for recycling efforts started prior to 1992 further complicate the ability to identify an exact per capita waste disposal goal. Clearly, however, the municipal solid waste 25% per capita waste disposal reduction goal must be somewhere below the Reduction Goal line shown above; just how far below would be difficult, if not impossible to show. What is shown in the graph above is the general trend in MSW disposal in Georgia over the past decade. Solid waste haulers are not required to keep Industrial and C&D waste separate from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), which is comprised of both Commercial and Residential Waste. In addition, Landfill operators are not required to report the amount of waste disposed by a particular waste generating category, thus it is very difficult to determine exactly what the MSW disposal rate is for the state. The MSW line above (black line with circles) shows the total amount of waste, on a per capita basis, disposed at MSW landfills in the State. This disposal figure includes all outof-state waste, Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste, and industrial waste that is also disposed at these facilities. (Notes continued next page) 7

8 Georgia s Per Capita Disposal Pounds Per Person Per Day 1994 to Total Waste MSW Georgia MSW Reduction Goal C&D Source: Annual Solid Waste Report DCA/EPD Georgia s Per Capita Disposal Rate Notes Continued from Previous Page To get a better idea of the amount of Municipal Solid Waste being disposed by Georgians, the Georgia MSW line (yellow line with stars) does not include tracked and reported industrial, C&D, or out-of-state waste disposed in MSW landfills in the state. Based upon a phone survey conducted by R.W. Beck, who contacted 47 landfills representing over 9% of the total waste disposed in 22, 14% of the waste delivered to these MSW facilities was Industrial Waste, 12.3% was C&D Waste, and 73.7% was MSW. When applying these percentages to the 23 MSW disposal rate, Georgia s MSW per capita disposal rate for 23 would be 4.7 lbs per person per day vs. the 6.4 lbs per person per day graphed in the yellow line. The study further showed that 7.1% of the waste entering MSW facilities was sludge or biosolids generated from wastewater treatment facilities. When subtracting this special waste from the 23 MSW disposal rate, the per capita disposal rate for Georgians would be 4.25 pounds per person per day. The Total Waste disposed line (red line with squares) represents the per capita disposal rate for all waste disposed in the State, regardless of the type of waste or the type of waste disposal facility it does not include, however any waste disposed at inert landfills. The C&D line (blue line with diamonds) represents the per capita disposal rate of Construction and Demolition Waste disposed at C&D landfills, a landfill specifically designed and permitted to accept only construction and demolition waste. Typically the disposal or tipping fees at a C&D facility are lower than the tipping fees at a MSW landfill. When reviewing the disposal trends over the past decade, there are several things worth noting: 1. In 1996, the MSW per capita disposal rate came very close to meeting the state s waste disposal reduction goal. There may be two primary factors influencing this reduction: 1) the 1996 yard trimmings ban became effective in 1996 and 2) this was the target year for the state s 25% per capita waste reduction disposal goal. Many local governments added or significantly expanded their residential recycling programs in an effort to achieve the goal. 2. The waste reduction and recycling programs in the state appear to have checked the growth of Georgia s MSW per capita disposal rate. While the rate of per capita disposal rose steadily over the past decade, the growth in Georgia s MSW per capita disposal rate leveled-off in 1998 and has remained fairly flat since then with the exception of a dip in 22, which is more than likely attributable to a sluggish economy. Per capita MSW disposal has climbed again in the last two years. 3. The per capita disposal rate for C&D waste has risen steadily since 1998, a factor which may also be contributing to the leveling-off of Georgia s per capita MSW disposal rate. The increased use of C&D landfills is not surprising given the price differential in MSW and C&D tipping fees and the increased distances many communities must ship their waste for disposal at the larger, more regional MSW landfills in the state. 8

9 Percent of MSW Disposed in Georgia Landfills From Out-of-State Sources 16% 14% 12% 1% 8% 6% 4% 2% % Source: Annual Solid Waste Report DCA From 1994 through 1998 the percent of MSW disposed in landfills in Georgia from out-ofstate sources remained fairly constant, averaging just 2.% of the MSW disposed in the state. From 1998 to 1999 the amount of out-state waste disposed in Georgia more than doubled, from just less than 2, tons to over 45, tons. In 1999 waste from out-of-state sources accounted for 4.8% of the MSW disposed in the state. From 1999 to 24, the amount of out-of-state waste more than tripled, from slightly more than 45, tons in 1999 to more than 1.6 million tons in 23, or 13.5% of the waste entering Georgia MSW landfills. The amount of waste exported from Georgia is not reported to EPD, however based upon DCA s Local Government Solid Waste Management Survey and Full Cost Report, 17 local governments reported that the waste generated within their community was sent to out-ofstate disposal facilities. Based upon the population within these communities and using a per capita MSW disposal rate of 7.14 lbs per capita it can be estimated that approximately 275, tons of waste were exported from Georgia in 23. (The Cities reporting they exported their waste included: Donalsonville, Gibson, Iron City, Jakin, LaGrange, Menlo, Sylvannia, and Trion. The Counties reporting they exported their waste included: Chattooga, Clay, Columbia, Dade, Early, Jenkins, Screven, Seminole, and Walker; for a total population of 21,679) 9

10 Georgia Landfill Disposal 23 Public vs. Private (in million tons) Public 41 MSW Landfills 37 C&D Landfills 9 Private MSW Landfills 14 C&D Landfills Public Private MSW Disposal C&D Disposal # of MSW Facilities # of C&D Facilities In 24 there were 57 municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills accepting waste for disposal in Georgia; 41 were owned by the public sector and 16 were privately owned. Of the 11.7 million tons of MSW disposed in 24, only 3 million tons were disposed at the 41 facilities owned by the public sector, while almost nine million tons were disposed at the 16 privately owned MSW landfills in the state. Construction and Demolition (C&D) disposal rates followed a very similar pattern, 625, tons of C&D waste disposed at the 37 C&D landfills owned by the public sector and over nearly three million tons of C&D waste disposed at the 16 privately owned C&D landfills in the state. 1

11 Solid Waste Disposal Infrastructure Transfer Stations Source: DCA Office of Decision Support With fewer landfills located throughout the state, the number of permitted solid waste transfer stations has grown significantly over the last decade. This change has required many local governments to deliver their waste to larger, more regional solid waste landfills in the state. This map shows the location of the current permitted solid waste transfer stations in the state. A complete 24 directory of the transfer stations, including owner/operator information and a photographic inventory is available from the Department of Community Affairs. 11

12 Solid Waste Transfer Facilities Source: EPD Permitted Transfer Stations In an effort to identify where the permitted solid waste transfers were located in the state, DCA staff compiled an inventory of all the permitted municipal solid waste transfer stations and their GIS coordinates. Based upon this field survey conducted in the Fall of 23, there were 73 facilities that actively received waste for solid waste handling and transfer to a MSW landfill. Of the 73 facilities, 4 were owned by local governments. Many of the other permits issued are for medical waste facilities, facilities that were assigned permit numbers but were never constructed, or for facilities where the ownership transferred and a new permit number was issued, or the facility was closed but the permit number remains active. 12

13 Average Landfill Tipping Fees: July, 23 MSW C&D N/A Source: DCA Phone Survey $15-19 $2 24 $25-29 $3-34 $ Fee Survey The weighted State Average MSW Fee $34.95, up from $32.85 in 23 The weighted State Average C&D Fee: $28.14, up from $28.15 in 23 The regional average tipping fee in the Northeastern part of the nation is far higher, with an average tipping fee of $55 per ton, with the state of New Hampshire reporting an average of more than $76 per ton. Please note that the tipping fees reported for Georgia are the posted gate rate fees, actual tipping fees vary greatly depending upon the volume of waste delivered to a facility and are often times significantly less than the posted gate rates. For a complete listing of the average tipping fees in the state by RDC, consult the Annual Solid Waste Report on-line at 13

14 Tipping Fees Average Fee Per Ton $4. $35. $3. $25. $2. $15. $1. $5. $ MSW C&D Linear (MSW) Linear (C&D) Source: DCA Office of Environmental Management Phone Survey This graph shows the trend in MSW and C&D tipping fees from 21 to 23. MSW tipping fees have gone from a statewide average of $31.97 per ton in 21 to $33.26 per ton in 23. C&D tipping fees fluctuated from a statewide average of $25.94 per ton in 21 to $28.16 per ton in 23. As can be seen from the linear trend lines; both MSW and C&D fees have generally increased over the period, C&D fees appear to be increasing at a somewhat greater rate than MSW tipping fees. It is expected as additional C&D disposal capacity is permitted, this line will flatten. Given the increased environmental design standards for MSW landfills and the density of C&D materials, MSW tipping fees are always expected to be higher than C&D tipping fees. 14

15 Solid Waste Disposal Services Local Government Programs 15

16 How Local Governments Dispose of their Waste Fiscal Years Government-owned landfill (59%) (58%) (49%) (48%) (48%) (41%) (42%) (39%) (39%) (41%) Privately owned landfill Total number using landfills Government-owned incinerator Privately owned incinerator Total number using incinerators Out of state Unknown N/A N/A N/A Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys In 1995, 7% of the local governments in the state reported that they disposed their waste in landfills owned by local governments and 3% disposed their waste in privately owned landfills. In 23, 48% indicated they disposed their waste in publicly owned landfills, while 41% reported they disposed their waste at privately owned facilities. The number of local governments exporting their waste to out-of-state facilities has remained fairly constant over the past five (5) years, with only 17 local governments reporting they exported their waste in 23. The only solid waste incinerator in the state is a privately owned Waste-to-Energy facility located in Savannah, they accept an average of 4 tons a day of municipal solid waste to convert to electricity. 16

17 Local Government Operated Disposal Facilities MSW Landfill Inert Landfill C&D Landfill Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys The number of MSW landfills owned and operated by local governments has decreased significantly over the last decade. In 1994, 115 local governments reported owning and operating their own landfill. In 23 this number was reduced by more than half, with only 43 local governments in the state reporting they owned and operated their own landfill. Throughout the past decade, local governments have continued to rely upon inert landfills for the disposal of concrete and land clearing debris. Inert landfills are permit by rule facilities, which means the owner/operator must notify EPD that they are in operation and adhere to some basic environmental performance standards. From 1994 through 22 the number of local governments reporting that they operated C&D landfills remained fairly constant, with an average of 27 local governments reporting they operated C&D facilities. In 23, this number increased to 37 local governments. 17

18 Solid Waste Transfer Facilities Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys Local Govt Operated TFS The number of Local Governments reporting that they used solid waste transfer stations increased substantially from 1994 to 23 from 57 to 72 local governments. Even more dramatic was the increase from 1993, when only 35 local governments reported owning and operating a solid waste transfer station. 18

19 Solid Waste Collection Services Local Government Programs 19

20 Residential Solid Waste Collection Service Provided or Arranged For Private Vendors Local Government Service Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys In 23, 565 local governments reported providing or arranging for solid waste collection services in their community. In 1992, 191 local governments reported solid waste collection services were provided by the private sector and 51 reported they either provided the service themselves or contracted with another local government to provide the service. In 23, 379 local governments reported that the private sector provided for the collection of solid waste in their community, while 362 reported they relied upon a local government to provide the collection services. The following graphs show the manner in which local governments provide for or arrange for solid waste collection in their community and show the type of residential solid waste collection services available in their communities. 2

21 Residential Waste Collection: Cities No Private Collection Local Ordinance Contract for Service Issue Permit or License Franchise Agreement Open Competition - no local oversight Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys 21

22 Residential Waste Collection: Cities Curbside Staffed Drop-off Unstaffed Drop-off Dumpsters (Green Box) Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys Reporting of staffed and un-staffed drop-off categories were combined in the 23 survey. 22

23 Residential Waste Collection: Counties No Private Collection Local Ordinance Contract for Service Issue Permit or License Franchise Agreement Open Competition - no local oversight Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys 23

24 Residential Waste Collection: Counties Curbside Staffed Drop-off Unstaffed Drop-off Dumpsters (Green Box) Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys Reporting of staffed and un-staffed drop-off categories were combined in the 23 survey. 24

25 Yard Trimmings Management Local Government Programs 25

26 Yard Trimmings Collection: Cities Not Available Private Vendor - Individual Subscription Private Vendor - Contract Service Public Sector Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys 26

27 Yard Trimmings Collection: Cities Curbside Unstaffed Drop-off Staffed Drop-off Accept at Transfer Station/Landfill Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys 27

28 Yard Trimmings Processing: Cities Compost Landfill Inert Landfill Grind/Chip Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys 28

29 Yard Trimmings Beneficial Use: Cities Give Away Sell Used by Local Government Private Processor Retains Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys 29

30 Yard Trimmings Collection: Counties Not Available Private Vendor - Individual Subscribe Private Vendor - Contract Service Public Sector Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys 3

31 Yard Trimmings Collection: Counties Curbside Unstaffed Drop-off Staffed Drop-off Accept at Transfer Station/Landfill Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys 31

32 Yard Trimmings Processing: Counties Compost Landfill Inert Landfill Grind/Chip Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys 32

33 Yard Trimmings Beneficial Use: Counties Give Away Sell Used by Local Government Private Processor Retains Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys 33

34 Solid Waste Infrastructure Yard Trimmings Facilities Source: DCA Office of Decision Support This map shows the location of the reported local government composting and mulching operations in the state. 34

35 Recycling Services Local Government Programs 35

36 Residential Recycling Services Recycling Services Available Local Government Service Private Vendors Non-profit Provider Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys In 23, over 44 local governments reported that recycling services were available in their communities. Since 1996, the provider of these services has increasingly been local governments, with over 39 local governments reporting they provided recycling services in

37 Georgia Recycling Programs Corrugated Glass PET HDPE Steel Cans Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Surveys While DCA does not require communities to report the amount of materials they recycle, we do ask them to report the type of materials accepted in their recycling programs. The question we used to track this information changed in In 1995 we asked communities to report what materials were accepted by the government providing the recycling services vs. what materials were accepted in recycling programs in their community. Thus, the significant dip in reported programs in The downward trend reported for each material type since 1999 is reflective of the total number of communities that reported recycling services available within their communities. From 1999 to 23 the number of communities reporting recycling services available within their communities has dropped from 51 local governments to 444. Please note that some of that drop is attributable to the number of local governments reporting to DCA, in local governments responded, in responded. From 1995 to 1999, corrugated cardboard, glass, and PET recycling collection programs were widely incorporated into many local government recycling programs. In local governments reported corrugated cardboard recycling programs existed in their communities, 333 reported glass and 327 reported PET recycling programs were available. In 23 these numbers dropped to 287 local governments reporting corrugated cardboard recycling programs, 251 reporting glass collection services available, and 256 reporting PET recycling services available in their community. Steel cans were reported to be one of the least commonly accepted recyclable materials of those presented in the graph, with only 195 local governments reporting they had programs to accept them in 1999 and 157 in

38 Georgia Recycling Programs Newspaper Aluminum Christmas Trees Tires C&D Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Reports Since 1992, newspaper has been reported as the most widely collected recyclable material, followed by aluminum. In 1999 approximately 45 communities reported they accepted newspaper and 4 accepted aluminum cans. In 23, these numbers fell to 365 communities reporting that they had newspaper recycling services available within their community and 334 reporting the availability of aluminum can recycling services in their community. In 1999, Christmas Tree recycling was available in almost 4% of Georgia s communities, with 278 local governments reporting they had Christmas Tree recycling services available in their community. This number dropped to 244 in 23 or 35% of Georgia s communities. The number of communities collecting tires rose over 6% from 1992 to 1999, with a total of 157 communities reporting they had scrap tire collection services available in their community. This number dropped to 136 in 23, representing 2% of Georgia s communities. 38

39 Number of Survey Respondents Cities County Total Source: DCA Annual Solid Waste Management Reports 39

40 Solid Waste Trends in Georgia: Issues Examined Disposal Capacity Disposal Fees Solid Waste Infrastructure Waste Reduction/Recycling Public v. Private Service Providers Specifically, this presentation examines the trends over the past decade by examining the following issues: Disposal Capacity Disposal Fees Solid Waste Infrastructure Waste Reduction & Recycling Public v. Private Service Providers and the increasing role of Privatization & Increased Competition; and The handling of various Special Waste streams 4