Agenda - 01-26-2012 - 4 - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 On May 17, 2011 the Board received a plan from RENA recommending actions to mitigate the long and short term impacts of Orange County's Landfill and Solid Waste operations on the health, safety and welfare of the Historic Rogers Road — Eubanks Road Community. On October 4, 2011 the Board reviewed a variety of possible public improvements to the Historic Rogers Road Community. A number of local government initiatives have been implemented to improve the quality of life in the Rogers Road Community and they are as follows: 1. The Solid Waste fund paid $650,000 to extend public water service by the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) to the Rogers Road area. 2. Solid Waste installed gas flares to reduce odors. 3. Town of Chapel Hill initiated bus service on Rogers Road. 4. Solid Waste has initiated a no-fault well policy to deal with failing drinking water wells remaining in the adjoining neighborhoods. 5. The Board of County Commissioners approved the appropriation of $750,000 from the Solid Waste Fund Balance to Establish a Rogers Road Remediation Reserve Fund. 6. On July 1, 2011 the Board of County Commissioners established a $5.00 tipping fee surcharge and a plan to incrementally increase the tipping fee each fiscal year by a minimum $2 per ton as long and the landfill is operational to fund the Rogers Road Remediation Reserve Fund. 7. The Landfill Gas to Energy Project commenced operations on January 6, 2012 and will likely have an immediate and noticeable impact on the odor created by the operation of the landfill. The project will further provide a long-term renewable energy source to UNC, reducing dependence on increasingly expensive fossil fuels, and reduce carbon emissions. On October 4, the Board authorized the staff to proceed with a `one-time' effort to clean-up illegal dump site within three-fourths of one mile of the landfill boundary, at no cost to the individual property owners. This process has started, but due to the complicated legal issues surrounding both County and individual property owner's liability, the final release forms and procedures have not been completed. Staff has discovered one non-conforming solid waste disposal site that was owned and operated by a Historic Rogers Road resident since 1992; see the attached letter from the NC Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources. Staff will bring back to the Board a recommendation regarding illegal dump sites by the March 22, 2012 regular meeting. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The financial impact of remediation in the Rogers Road Community could be considerable for Orange County and the Interlocal Agreement partners (as well as other users). The landfill is currently projected to close by June 30, 2013. The current Landfill tipping fee surcharge could generate $480,000 over finro years. Combined with the $750,000 initial contribution from the Solid Waste Fund Balance, total revenues of $1,230,000 could be established for the Rogers Road Remediation Reserve Fund. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board of County Commissioners and Town Boards provide guidance to staff regarding: Requests from the Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood Association (RENA), with knowledge that not all of those requests can be linked to the landfill or the proposed Remediation Reserve Fund (regardless of the merit of those requests otherwise).