1989-12-19December 19, 1989 (Afternoon Adjourned Meeting)
(Page 1)
389
An afternoon meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Albemarle County,
Virginia, was held on December 19, 1989 at 1:00 P.M., Meeting Room 7,~ County
Office Building, McIntire Road, Charlottesville, Virginia. ~his meeting was
adjourned from December 13, 1989.
PRESENT:
Peter T. Way.
Messrs. Edward H. Bain, Jr., F. R. Bowie, Walter F. Perkins-and
ABSENT: Mrs. Patricia H. Cooke and Mr. C. Timothy Lindstrom.
OFFICERS PRESENT: Deputy County Executive, Mr. Robert W. Tucker, Jr.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Frank Buck, Mr. Darden Towe and Mayor
Elizabeth Waters.
CITY COUNCIL OFFICERS: City Manager, Mr. Cole Hendrix.
Agenda Item No. 1. The meeting was called to order at 1:05 P.M. by the
Chairman, Mr. Way.
Agenda Item No. 2. Report: Solid Waste Task Force.
Mrs. Nancy O'Brien, Chairman of the Charlottesville/Albemarle Solid Waste
Management Task Force, was present. Also present were the following members o~
the Committee: Messrs. Edward H. Bain, Jr., Preston Coiner, William M. Colony,
and Roger Flint, Ms. Susan W. Lewis, Mr. William Middleton, Mrs. James B.
Murray, Sr., and Mr. Darden Towe.
Mrs. O'Brien presented the report, saying the Task Force gathered informa-
tion on the waste stream and analyzed this information in making the recommen-
dations included in this report. This information-gathering phase revealed
that a large proportion (60 percent or more)i_of the waste stream is inert
materials, including concrete, rock, metals,~!~white goods, stumps, logs and
other construction debris, tires, brush and Asbestos. Furthermore, of the
remaining that is considered domestic waste, 55 percent is collected from
dumpsters and not from household curbside coIlection.
Given the high percentage of inert materials in the waste stream, the Tasl
Force concluded that alternatives to disposal should be recommended. A wood
chipping operation should be instituted to p:~ocess wood materials. Certain
non-regulated inert materials (rock, concrete and bricks) could be disposed of
in a non-regulated landfill site. Household!yard waste can also be diverted
from the landfill through expansion of the existing leaf composting to include
all yard waste from both the City and County!
For domestic waste, the Task Force concluded that a mandatory recycling
program for all residential, commercial and institutional establishments will
guarantee success. An Office of Recycling should be established to provide
public education and technical assistance. A materials recovery facility (MRF
should be developed to process recyclables. :~ventually a central service
authority should be established to assume responsibility for all waste manage-
ment activities, including the office of recy'~ling, but excluding the waste
collection process, which can remain under the purview of the City and County.
As the costs for solid waste management increase, a user-based system of
tipping fees at the landfill must be appliedi~~ The Task Force concluded that
the most equitable means of levying fees is ~O charge users of the landfill
proportional to the amount of waste generated, and tipping fees will'
this. In the 1Qng term, landfilling will remain a necessary part of any solid
waste management plan. However, the Solid Waste Management Authority should
evaluate all waste disposal options, including incineration, waste-to-energy
and mechanical composting, on a yearly basis ~and report such findings to the
City, County and public.
By removing inert materials from the Ivyilandfill and by instituting a
mandatory recycling program, the Task Force concluded that the current ten yea~
life expectancy of the landfill could be extehded by six to eight years.
However, given the lengthy siting and permitting process, combines with the
recognition that landfills will always remain, a part of the solid waste
December 19, 1989 (Afternoon Adjourned Meeting)
(Page 2)
390
management plan, the City and County should begin the process of siting a new
landfill immediately.
Mrs. O' Brien then listed the Committee's recommendations:
Apply tipping fees to all components of the waste stream in two
incremental steps to eventually cover the complete cost.
Expand an existing authority or create a new authority to assume
responsibility for all waste management activities except collection
and provide for consent from the elected bodies prior to implementing
major projects.
Establish an Office of Recycling to develop and implement an educa-
tion program for the entire community and provide technical assis-
tance to large waste generators and commercial establishments. The
office should be created as soon as possible with the ultimate
location of the office being in the newlycreated authority. In the
interim, the office should be located in the Thomas Jefferson Plan-
ning District Commission.
Establish a local committee in each locality to review and recommend
collection in a mandatory system.
5. Build a Material Recovery Facility to process and market recyclables.
Institute a mandatory recycling program for all residential, commer-
cial, and institutional establishments.
Enforce or seek additional authority to enforce laws prohibiting
illegal dumping and burning of trash.
Expand or seek additional authority to enforce laws prohibiting
illegal dumping and burning of trash.
Establish a wood chipping operation,i
Create a non-regulated inert landfMil for appropriate materials.
11. Purchase additionatlandfill space for future needs.
12.
Develop and implement a comprehensive hazardous waste management
program, including how to dispose o~f low level radioactive solid
waste which is scheduled to be deregulated.
13.
The Authority should monitor all forms of emerging technologies
design for waste reduction and/or d%sposal and issue status reports
of findings to the public on a yearly basis.
14. The Solid Waste Task Force should remain in existence to monitor the
progress of these recommendations until the Authority is operational.
(Note: Mr. Bain left at 1:39 P.M.)
There followed a brief question and answer period.
Mr. Towe asked Mr. Flint from the Charlottesville-Albemarle Clean Communi-
ty Commission (CAC3) to describe the process df educating the public, which is
crucial to the success of the recycling program. Mr. Towe said the Committee
warned against the danger of delaying action qn the recommendations listed
above. He recommended that several members o~i each governing body and staff be
appointed to proceed with these recommendations immediately after the first of
the year.
Mr. Flint, Acting President of CAC3, int~0duced CAC3 Coordinator, Ms.
Rosemary Sheuchenko, who handed to the member~ a booklet prepared by CAC3,
titled "A Proposal for the Recycling Office, December 1989". She explained how
CAC3 might help in this process. ~
(Note: Mr. Buck left at 2:15 P.M.)
December 19, 1989 (Afternoon Adjourned Meeting)
(Page 3)
391
Mayor Waters suggested that one or more members of the County and City
staff meet to bring back a recommendation on what the first step should be to
implement the ideas in the report. Mr. Way suggested that this be a top
priority item for the staff,
Mayor Waters expressed a special word of thanks to Mrs. O'Brien for her
work in chairing this Committee.
The meeting was adjourned at 2:19 P.M.
CHAIRMAN