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0 <br />¦ Ability for expansion - When selecting a site, consider the potential for subsequent increase in <br />the daily tonnage of waste that the facility will be required to manage, or added processing <br />capabilities for recycling and diversion. It is frequently less expensive to expand an existing <br />transfer station than to develop a new site due to the ability to use existing operations staff, utility <br />connection, traffic control systems, office space, and buildings. <br />¦ Space for recycling,'composting, and public education - A transfer station could be sited in <br />areas also conducive to recycling or composting activities. Many transfer stations are designed to <br />enable residents and businesses to drop off recyclables and yard waste in addition to trash. Some <br />transfer stations incorporate education centers or interpretive trails focusing on waste prevention. <br />These types of facilities offer increased utility to the community. <br />¦ Buffer space - To mitigate impact on the surrounding community, a transfer station should be <br />located in an area that provides separation from sensitive adjoining land uses as residences. <br />Buffers can be natural or constructed and can take many forms, including open spaces, fences, <br />sound walls, trees, berms, and landscaping. <br />¦ Gently sloping topography - Transfer stations often are multilevel buildings that need to have <br />vehicle access at several levels. Completely flat sites need ramps or bridges constructed to allow <br />vehicle access to upper levels (or areas excavated to allow access to lower levels). Sites with <br />moderately sloping terrain can use topography to their advantage, allowing access to the upper <br />levels from the higher parts of the natural terrain and access to lower levels from the lower parts. <br />Sites with steep slopes might require extra costs associated with earthmoving and retaining walls. <br />¦ Access to utilities - Transfer stations generally require electricity to operate equipment, such as <br />balers and compactors; lighting; water for facility cleaning, restrooms, and drinking; and sanitary <br />sewer systems for wastewater disposal. Some smaller transfer stations use wells for water supply, <br />and some, especially in more rural settings, use septic systems or truck their wastewater for off- <br />site treatment. <br />¦ Zoning designations and requirements - Zoning ordinances frequently classify transfer <br />stations as industrial uses, which limits their siting to areas zoned for industry usually in <br />conjunction with a special use permit. Exclusive use of predetermined land use criteria, however, <br />might result in locating transfer stations in areas already overburdened with industries or <br />clustering of these types of facilities in areas adjacent to poor and minority communities. If local <br />zoning ordinances are so restrictive that they disallow facility siting outside pre-established <br />industrial zones, substantial engineering and architectural design must be incorporated into the <br />facility to minimize impacts on the surrounding community. <br />¦ Carbon footprint - Carbon emissions output of waste hauling and transfer operations <br />referenced to the centroid of waste generation.Z <br />2 Criteria Modified for Orange County, North Carolina. <br />OVER <br />rxarc?nreq <br />2