Agenda - 09-29-1999 - 5a - Laserfiche WebLink

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neighborhood that has hosted Orange County's major solid waste operations for the past 25 years. . Among the perceived advantages of the Guess Road site are its large size, long potential lifespan, and availability as property freely offered on the open market. Among its perceived disadvantages are its proximity to the Little River (a primary drinking water source for Durham County) and accompanying citizen concerns about possible adverse impacts on water quality; its distance from the major waste generation center; and its comparatively higher development costs ($750,000). 2 The Town of Chapel Hill (on behalf of the LOG member governments) holds an option to purchase the approximately 178 acre Guess Road site for $2,790 per acre. That option expires on September 30, 1999. Indications are that if the County and its LOG partners do not exercise that option, the owners of the property intend to sell the property to other parties. Decision-making Authority Under the terms of the 1972 interlocal agreement governing the current management. of the landfill and solid waste operations, a decision to site a facility and authorize the expenditure of funds for its acquisition and development would normally require the approval of all three of the landfill owners. At their August 17 meeting, the BOCC adopted a~ resolution requesting that the Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill cede authority to the BOCC to make the decision about whether to site a new C&D landfill at either the Eubanks Road or Guess Road site (or neither). The Town of Carrboro on September 7 adopted a resolution granting that authority to the BOCC. The Town of Chapel Hill on September 13 adopted a resolution ceding the siting decision to the BOCC. Under the current interlocal agreement, the Town of Chapel Hill will adopt any budget amendment needed to fund any site acquisition costs and will execute any administrative or legal documents necessary to carry out any siting decision by the BOCC. Existing CSzD Landfill Capacity Over the past several years, several steps have been taken that have extended the life of the current C&D landfill by perhaps two and a half years. Beginning a few years ago, a landfill compactor has been used instead of a bulldozer to compact C&D waste. This has resulted in more densification of the waste, thereby saving air space. More recently, staff have explored the site for pockets of UNC coal ash, which had been buried in the C&D area since about 1993. In some cases, large areas of coal ash have been excavated and used for road building and maintenance on the landfill's internal roads. Staff. believes this space saving measure has now been exhausted. Several recycling/waste reduction actions have been taken to extend landfill life. A differential tipping fee for clean, segregated metals was implemented. A C&D salvage operation that diverts reusable construction materials, including pallets, was implemented. Cardboard and yard waste bans have likewise contributed to some saving of space. Finally, the Town of Chapel Hill implemented a solid waste management plan provision in their development ordinance which allows exploration of alternatives to landfilling, -and allows green building techniques for all applicants for special use permits or zoning compliance permits.