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W <br />3 <br />The initial phases of the process involved the selection and <br />application of screening criteria which looked at the County as a <br />whole and identified areas which could be used as a landfill, <br />according to the adopted criteria. The screening criteria include <br />such factors as State and County regulations (e.g., minimum <br />distances from drinking water sources) and other factors which the <br />Committee felt were important (e.g., distance from population <br />centers). Sixteen general areas were identified as meeting the <br />subject criteria. A copy of the adopted screening criteria is <br />provided as Attachment 3. A map showing the approximate locations <br />of the sixteen sites is provided as Attachment 4. <br />The next phases included the selection and application of ranking <br />criteria. These criteria were designed to cor.,pare the selected <br />sites, and to rank them in terms of their relative suitability for <br />a landfill. They were not intended to be an absolute measure of <br />suitability, nor to represent an end of the investigation into <br />suitability. They were intended as a tool for the Committee to use <br />in narrowing the field of candidate sites to a smaller number which <br />would receive additional scrutiny. A copy of the ranking criteria <br />is provided as Attachment 5. <br />The Committee did not believe, however, that the information they <br />received relative to ranking was sufficient for them to proceed to <br />narrow the list of sites. Accordingly, they requested that the <br />Landfill Owners, Group authorize the consultant to proceed with <br />additional study. The Owners, Group agreed, and authorized the <br />expenditure of up to an additional $50,000. That additional work <br />included examining four sites- from the air in "fly- overs" <br />reviewing information provided by citizens, and reassessing the <br />information previously used in determining the suitability of the <br />sites. The consultants completed this work and provided a report <br />to the Committee of their findings. <br />The Committee subsequently voted to recommend on-site testing of <br />the four sites. Efforts to obtain voluntary access 'to the <br />properties which comprise the four sites were unsuccessful. The <br />next step would be the use of authority granted to local <br />governments by the State for access for the purposes of testing. <br />This is the point at which we are now. <br />Once the testing is completed, the next step <br />Search Committee to review the results of <br />engineering analysis and to recommend to the Lan( <br />one or more sites as potential landfill sites. <br />would then recommend to the governing bodies a <br />and eventual acquisition. <br />would be for the <br />the testing and <br />ifill Owners' Group <br />The Owners' Group <br />site for approval <br />