Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 16:52:21 -0400
From: Debra Henzey
Subject: Community Meetings on Potential Chatham Landfill
May 19, 2009
Contact: Robert Holden, Waste Management, 919-542-5516
Chatham County residents are invited to attend one of four meetings around the county in June to learn about options for long-term solid waste disposal, including the potential need for a landfill. The meetings are hosted by the county’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee at the following locations:
* Tuesday, June 2: Western Senior Center , Siler City, 10 am
* Thursday, June 11: Central Carolina Community College, Multipurpose Room, Pittsboro, 7 pm
* Tuesday, June 16: Harper’s Crossroads Community Center , 7 pm
* Thursday, June 25: Moncure Fire Department, 7 pm
“It is important to highlight that no decision on a landfill or any other option has been made. We are not looking at any specific landfill locations and would not do so at this stage, ” said Robert Holden, director of Chatham County Waste Management.
“We recently completed a professional study of long-term disposal options that recommends a landfill solution, but we are still in the exploratory stage. The main reason that we looked at long-term options in both 2003 and 2008 is the high cost of continuing on the same path and the limited control we have over what we are charged,” Holden said.
The county currently transfers its solid waste out of the county for disposal in a regional landfill in Sampson County. This option has cost the county more than $6.6 million in contract payments from 1993 through 2008.
“The current disposal rate is averaging $55 per ton of waste, but the study concluded that this could increase to more than $132 in the next 45 years,” Holden noted.
The study noted that the county has limited options to consider for long-term disposal:
* Continuation of a contract to transfer waste out of the county;
* Build a landfill to serve just Chatham County; and
* Partner with other local governments in developing a regional landfill.
The study indicates that a landfill option would be more cost-effective than continuing to transfer waste out of the county, said Holden. Based on the 2008 estimates, an all-county landfill could lead to a savings of around $148 million over 45 years, while a regional landfill would save as much as $195 million.
Another topic of the community meetings is moving toward “unit-based pricing” for waste disposal, which means that the amount that residents would pay for waste disposal would depend on how much waste they generate. “The disposal fee of $34 would go away, but residents would pay based on how many bags of trash they generate or how many bulky items they choose to throw away,” said Holden.
This type of pricing in other communities has helped reduce waste and increased recycling, according to the study. Holden said it is important to note that this pricing would not apply to items donated to Swap Shops or provided for recycling.
“We recognize that residents will have questions and concerns to be addressed about any options under consideration,” Holden said. “The goals of the community meetings are to provide as much useful information as we can, answer questions and get feedback from residents to share with the our advisory committee and the county commissioners.”