County, regional solid waste plans to be discussed
County and regional solid waste plans will be discussed in the coming days.
Draft copies of both plans have been sent to Marion County Commission. They will be discussed at the Monday commission meeting.
The regional plan will be discussed May 16, at a meeting of the Central Kansas Regional Solid Waste Authority board, at the Harvey County Landfill in Newton.
Counties in the region are Harvey, Dickinson, McPherson, and Marion.
Each plan includes a description of the county or region, reviews existing solid waste system and options, makes recommendations for optimal solid waste management, and discusses cost, implementation, and waste reduction.
The plans are in draft copies only, which means they have not been completed. Changes can still be made, and some may have occurred already since the draft copies were produced, particularly typographical errors or updated population figures.
County plan
Marion County generated about 6,812 tons of solid waste in 2000, according to the county plan.
Of this, about 6,162 tons was municipal solid waste. The second-highest amount was yard waste, 368 tons. The figure is expected to grow slowly.
Deficiencies in the present system, as identified by planning committee members, include:
— Availability of collection services.
— Curbside collection of recyclables not available throughout county. Inconsistency in what material is kept and hours of operation. Long-term commitment to recycling and composting is uncertain.
— Education on solid waste reduction and disposal is consistent throughout the county and in school systems.
— Need better public access and dispersal of information on solid waste.
— No long-term disposal option within the region. The region is susceptible to outside influences. Illegal dumping remains an issue.
"While there are many solid waste technologies currently available that could be beneficial to the county, few of them are feasible in practice due to prohibitively high cost and questionable reliability," the plan says.
It recommends providing a single rolling container for weekly disposal, using trucks that automatically pick up the container and dump it into the truck's compactor. Also, the transfer station should have an area designated for recyclables, yard waste, white goods, and other items not sent to a landfill.
The goal is to reduce the waste stream by 25 percent through composting, recycling, and reuse of materials.
Landfill issue
"The most cost-effective method of solid waste disposal at this time is landfilling," the report says.
Because of "long-term uncertainty" regarding availability of landfills, "Marion County via the Central Kansas Regional Solid Waste Authority is planning to evaluate the development of a landfill within the four-county region," the plan says.
Such a landfill would be publicly owned and designed to accept solid waste from the four-county region only. It would be designed to have the least impact on surrounding property. Recycling and waste reduction programs would be increased to reduce the amount of material entering the landfill, thus extending its life.
A section on cost and financing has generated the most concern among county commissioners.
Two sections are included. The first says the authority should hire a full-time director.
The second, under the subhead "landfill development," says "The authority will inventory all solid waste facilities in the four-county area on an annual basis.
"Additionally, the Authority shall proceed with the siting of a regional landfill within the four-county area. This siting activity will include identifying a site, acquiring proper zoning for the site, and purchasing the site.
"The landfill with be sited, permitted, designed, constructed, and put into operation within five years from date of approval of this plan update."
Commissioners say they don't want to approve a plan that requires a landfill. Other officials say the section deals with costs the authority may face.
In the system financing chapter, it says the director and landfill development discussed earlier "will be supported financially by the four counties." Each county will determine how to generate the support funds.
After the landfill is operating, tipping fees will fund its operation, the plan says.
The timetable for landfill development is to begin in July, with "determine project need."
Siting investigation will start in January, with a site selected in June or July 2003. It would open in November 2006.
Regional plan
The regional plan has the same components as the county plan, except it reviews them from a regional perspective.
The region includes 37 incorporated cities, from Carlton (population 37) to Newton (17,190).
The regional generated 110,063 tons of solid waste in 2000. Of that, Harvey County generated 50,944 tons; McPherson, 37,128; Dickinson, 15,179; and Marion, 6,812.
It includes the same statements regarding landfill development, though it also identifies privately-owned operations as an option.
The regional authority was formed in 1994. Planning work started in 1996, and an implementation committee was formed in 1997.
