Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
648 <br />Alderman Gist said that compensation means several things. One is to ask the residents what will <br />it take if the worst happens to make your life a little better and to try to come up with a way to minimize the <br />impact on your lives. <br />Commissioner Willhoit said that there are two categories of compensation. One to the individual <br />and one to the community. Compensation to the individual is for those property owners that are directly <br />impacted where property must be acquired. This would include fair market value and just compensation <br />but also provide relocation assistance. One of the ways to minimize the impact on the neighborhood is by <br />placing limits on access, on operation and the type of activities on site. This is what we need to address. <br />P. St. John asked why the worst has to happen and said that the best isn't taking the landfill from <br />Orange County-17 and dumping it somewhere else. The best is to get rid of the landfill. He feels that <br />there is the technology to do just that. He supports plasma technology. They have a petition to stop the <br />landfill search and to look at alternatives. He feels that landfills are outdated and damaging. Everything <br />that goes in the plasma technology comes out as safe reusable energy. <br />1. Gutzwiler said that the issue of compensation is a non issue. The issues should be how to solve <br />the problem of municipal waste in Orange County. He asked to stop the compensation issue and start with <br />good science, good technology and better ways to solve the landfill problem. <br />1. Nunn said that this is the same stuff heard for years and feels that the landfill is going to go on <br />Eubanks Road whether the citizens like it or not. He does not feel that anyone is interested in the other <br />technologies. ; <br />ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES <br />B. B. Olive read a letter from the law firm of Robinson, Bradshaw and Hinson and specifically from <br />Frank Emery who represents Duke University. The letter stated that "under no circumstance will Duke <br />allow a landfill or any other waste facility on Duke Forest". <br />Dr. Cumancho explained that the plasma technology involves the use of electricity to generate heat <br />which converts the waste into two by-products. One of the products is a fuel gas which can be converted <br />...into electricity. The cost of this process is very reasonable and has been proven and demonstrated to not <br />emit any semi-volatile compounds. In answer to a question from Council Member Capowski about the <br />location of any place in North American where this technology is working in a production mode in the <br />quantities that Orange County needs, Dr. Cumancho said that there will be a process in Korea at the end <br />of this year. He explained that the equipment proposed for Orange County would involve a furnace <br />heated by a plasma torch, an electrical control and supply system, a gas entry system and some type of <br />water supply system. The system would be comparable to a home because there is no place to stack. <br />The Cost for a 480 ton per-day module would be $48 to $50 million dollars which could be recovered in <br />five to six years. <br />_ Commissioner Willhoit noted that he is intrigued by the process. The biggest issue is having to <br />come up with $50 million to build the plant without the guarantee it will take care of the needs of the <br />county. It seems like a perfect opportunity for a venture capitalist but Orange County should not be the <br />venture capitalist. <br />Dr. Cumancho said that they would need to do a feasibility study to determine what the waste is <br />and fuel value of the waste per ton. They would need to know the moisture content of the waste and the <br />local cost of power. With that information, he could get the County a good contract and a decision on <br />whether or not they could guarantee the process. <br />J. Barr expressed a concern with spending too much money on a landfill and not having the money <br />to finish Chapel Hill High or to build a middle school in Carrboro. He feels that Orange County-17 should <br />have had a representative on the landfill search committee and that they have not been listened to in <br />many of the proceedings. <br />1. Gutzwiler asked that other alternatives be explored, especially landfill mining. <br />Commissioner Willhoit said that they will explore other alternatives in the development of. the solid <br />waste management plan. <br />Alderman Gist said that in looking at other technologies, they need to determine if they are really <br />safe and also look at the social issues. If they are going to consider out-of-county, she wants to meet with <br />representatives of local activist groups and see what their take is on facilities on out-of-county.