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Minutes Regular Meeting <br /> Solid Waste Advisory Board <br /> September 4, 2008 <br /> Approved October 2, 2008 <br /> Wilson states that the cost of a rail transfer facility is exorbitant and for the amount of <br /> waste we would have to deliver for 2-3 miles using the landfill as the source I don' t <br /> think UNC would allow all those trucks on to campus with the waste . You have to <br /> have some serious volume, one car every three days is not enough . Rail haul for the <br /> quantity of waste generated in Orange County is not realistic . Regarding construction <br /> of a siding and transfer mechanism, Durham looked at this 10 years ago with four <br /> times the waste we have and it was twelve million dollars . <br /> Science and cost are not the main drivers . The science is irrelevant. Incineration is <br /> looked at unfavorably and would be a tough sell . You don' t hear of any modern <br /> landfills in the state polluting anything . They' re pretty safe but if you mention the <br /> landfill they will run you out of the room . <br /> Long term the only option [for smaller areas like this] is regional cooperation . The <br /> State regulation is pushing for several large landfills in the state that everyone would <br /> use . The carbon footprint of that would be very negative . You can ' t ignore the <br /> hauling . I do believe they would receive carbon offset by burning garbage . They <br /> might be willing at some point to look at some stand- alone facility in Chapel Hill <br /> North . I don ' t know how feasible that is within the structure of the University, but <br /> they may want to talk about it as they may achieve some carbon offsets . <br /> The Sharon Harris nuclear facility probably vents enough heat in a day to burn all the <br /> garbage in a 5 - 6 county area . You would think they could zap a little garbage while <br /> they do that. That may not be technically feasible or politically feasible . Or maybe, <br /> since they own a large piece of property that is very secure, that could be the site for a <br /> regional burn facility . In the short-term, there are no short-term possibilities other <br /> ith the University and we should get our waste <br /> than some quiet discussions w <br /> reduction and recycling house in order through the work group and get the transfer <br /> station sited and focus on that before we move on to long term issues . But do convey <br /> the sense that long-term the County is going to have to look at some of these <br /> technologies . <br /> Bowerman states that since we are at the far end of this generating energy, is there a <br /> way to work with an energy company and have them use the energy ? They get <br /> energy from lots of other sources so why not garbage ? <br /> Pollock states that in the [GBB] report, the big RDF plant they look at in Minnesota is <br /> a consortium involving the public power entities . There is a plant where they' re <br /> making the garbage into a fuel where you buy the coal from one and the RDF from <br /> another . <br /> Vickers states that one issue that Gayle alluded to even if you make the RDF here our <br /> quantity would be a major issue . He also makes the point that the State tried to be in <br /> 8 <br />