2006 Georgia solid waste management annual report

2006 Annual Solid Waste Report Executive Summary
The Georgia Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Act of 1990 requires the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), with the cooperation of the Department of Natural Resources' Environmental Protection Division (EPD) and the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA), to report annually on the state of solid waste management in Georgia. Per the Act, the FY 2006 report, covering the period of July 1, 2005-June 30, 2006, contains information on:
the status of local and regional solid waste management planning in Georgia; the number and types of solid waste handling facilities in the state; the remaining capacity of each permitted solid waste handling facility; the number and types of solid waste grants and loans made to local governments; a compilation and analysis of solid waste management data provided by cities and
counties through their completed Solid Waste Survey; a statement of progress achieved in meeting the 25% waste reduction goal established in
subsection (c) of Code Section 12-8-211; a statement of progress achieved in solid waste management education; any revisions in the state solid waste management plan deemed necessary; and recommendations for improving the management of solid waste in Georgia. Further, the Act requires DCA to report on the status of litter prevention and abatement in the state. The litter report shall include but not be limited to: An itemization of expenditures made from the Solid Waste Trust Fund for the prevention
and abatement of litter; A compilation and analysis of litter prevention, collection, and enforcement efforts; An assessment of littering in the state; A statement of progress in achieving a litter prevention ethic; and Recommendations for improving litter abatement and prevention efforts.
This litter report is available online at www.dca.ga.gov, under Office of Environmental Management programs.
The Solid Waste Management Act requires all local governments to have, or be included in, a solid waste management plan that demonstrates adequate waste disposal capacity and collection capability for a 10-year period. Thirty-six (36) cities and 11 counties did not have an approved plan by the end of FY 2006. Local governments that failed to adopt approved solid waste management plans are listed and continually updated online at: www.GeorgiaPlanning.com
During FY 2006, 16.9 million tons of waste was sent to Georgia disposal facilities. Most of this waste entered lined, monitored landfills operating under federal Subtitle D. A small and dwindling percentage of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) entered unlined landfills that have been allowed to operate under their pre-Subtitle D permits. Construction and Demolition waste (C&D), a subset of MSW, is generally disposed in unlined landfills that are less expensive to operate.
The state continues to have an adequate supply of permitted disposal capacity with 25 years of remaining permitted Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) disposal capacity and 16 years of remaining permitted Construction and Demolition (C&D) disposal capacity. It is important that the state and local governments carefully monitor the remaining permitted disposal capacity throughout the state. In FY 2006 just over half of the permitted disposal capacity in the state was contained in just 7 of the 115 landfills. This concentration heightens the need to carefully monitor the financial assurances of these and all the disposal facilities in the state. It also emphasizes the need for
1 During the 2005 Legislative session the 25% per capita waste disposal reduction goal was reworded to state that every effort should be made to reduce the per capita disposal rate of waste sent to MSW landfills in Georgia.

local solid waste management planning and annual monitoring of the implementation of these plans. Both the Northeast Georgia RDC and the South Georgia RDC are the only two RDCs with less than 10 years of permitted disposal capacity. Demonstration of capacity and capacity assurance is highly dependent upon the permitting process and the time it takes for a solid waste handling permit to be issued. It is worth noting that the South Georgia RDC had over 20 years of disposal capacity in 2005 but fell below 10 years when a permit expired and the permitted space was not constructed. (See section A Disposal and Capacity and section B Per Capita Disposal for more details)
The level and type of solid waste, recycling, and yard trimmings collection services provided throughout the state varies greatly depending upon a community's size, density, and demographic profile. To track solid waste management trends, DCA administers an annual survey of all local governments in Georgia. The number of local governments whose residents have access to recycling services had been dwindling but rebounded sharply in FY 20052. The increase is mostly due to better reporting, but the fact that the numbers are up slightly from 2003 may indicate a general expansion of local government recycling programs in response to citizen demand and increasing recycling commodity values.
During FY 2005, 25 cities and 25 counties reported actively promoting waste minimization practices such as home composting or beneficial reuse of yard trimmings. During FY 2005, 258 cities and 33 counties reported collecting yard trimmings for diversion from MSW landfills, however inert landfill disposal is reported as one of the leading "processing" methods for these materials. (See section C: Solid Waste & Recycling Collection of the report for more details)
Another growing trend that needs to be carefully monitored is the amount of waste imported to Georgia for disposal and its potential impact on future disposal capacity and Georgia's environment. With statewide MSW tipping fees at $35.51 per ton ($22.09 for C&D waste), far less than Northeastern states and Florida, Georgia landfills represent considerable cost-savings for companies moving large amounts of waste. Because the waste reduction goal specified in the Act includes all waste disposed in MSW landfills, this out-of-state waste is included in our progress toward meeting the waste reduction goal, and undercuts waste reduction and recycling efforts undertaken by Georgians. On a per capita basis, 7.52 pounds of waste entered MSW landfills daily during FY 2006, and nearly one pound/day of that came from outside Georgia's borders. (See section B: Per Capita Disposal and section D: MSW & C&D Landfill Tipping Fees of the report for more details)
Nearly $500,000 from the Solid Waste Trust Fund was expended to support local government recycling and waste reduction grants in FY 2006. Almost $200,000 went to provide scrap tire amnesty collections, and approximately $275,000 was awarded by GEFA's Recycling and Waste Reduction grant program to support local recycling collection and processing capacity. (See section E: Grants and Loans to Local Governments)
In response to one of the needs identified in the 2005 Annual Solid Waste Report to improve the management of solid waste in the state, DCA commissioned a waste characterization study to provide a comprehensive view of the composition of what Georgians were throwing away. Data were compiled statewide and broken down regionally by Regional Development Centers (RDCs.) The report is available online at www.dca.ga.gov. The report quantifies how much of what types of material are landfilled in Georgia, and whether it comes from residential or commercial sources. Among the findings, the report highlighted that nearly 40% of what is buried in Georgia landfills consists of materials that are commonly included in local government recycling collection programs. This information will be useful to local governments and Georgia based industries that use recycled content materials in their manufacturing operations.
2 The considerable lag time in gathering, verifying, and analyzing this data results in the previous years' collection and yard trimmings management data being used to compile this report.

With the findings from the Waste Characterization Study in hand, DCA adopted an updated State Solid Waste Management Plan. The purpose of this state plan is to chart the course for the combined efforts of the state and local governments to manage Georgia's solid waste in an environmentally sound and cost-effective manner over the next ten years. The focus of the plan is on MSW, as it is defined in state law. As such, it includes household and commercial solid wastes, as well as yard trimmings and construction and demolition waste, but does not include solid waste from mining, agricultural, or silviculture operations or industrial processes or operations.
The format of the Plan is consistent with the Minimum Planning Standards required for local government solid waste planning efforts. The Plan follows an approach that begins with a description of the solid waste being disposed in the State. It then describes for each element of solid waste management (waste reduction, collection, disposal, land limitation, and education and public involvement) the following information:
Inventory and Assessment: Summarizes the inventory of existing programs at the state and local levels, describing current practices and trends.
Identification of Needs and Goals: Describes the various opportunities that are available to help address the statewide effort to reach its goals.
Implementation Strategy: Describes the actions to be taken by the state government, including providing assistance to local governments.
These two tools, the waste characterization study and the state solid waste management plan, need to be used to develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce the amount of waste entering Georgia landfills.
The per capita disposal rate in the state continues to rise, mainly due to the continuing rise in outof-state waste imports. The per capita disposal rate for MSW generated and disposed within the state remains relatively constant. It is hoped with the updated State Solid Waste Management Plan and Waste Characterization results, local governments will be better able to target their limited resources and increase the efficiency or expand of their recycling programs. A specific waste reduction goal and recycling strategy needs to be developed for the state. The continued use of inert landfills for yard trimmings and growth in the use of solid waste transfer stations needs to be monitored and addressed in local solid waste planning efforts. As the state identifies a strategy for reducing the MSW disposal rate, efforts to quantify and address C&D waste reduction and solid waste from mining, agricultural, or silviculture operations or industrial processes or operations needs to be completed.
This report is available online at www.dca.ga.gov, under Office of Environmental Management programs.

Solid Waste & Recycling Collection 2006 Solid Waste Management Update

Waste Collection

The level and type of solid waste, recycling and yard trimmings collection services provided throughout the state varies greatly

depending upon a community's size, density and demographic profile. The data contained in this report is obtained mainly from

the Annual Solid Waste Management Survey and Full Cost Report. This data is used to attempt to identify how local

governments collect and manage solid waste, yard trimmings and recyclables generated within their community. Before

applying any analysis to this data it should be noted that in FY 2004 there was a significant drop in the response rate (from 93%

in FY 2003 to 79% in FY 2004). It is believed that the switch to the online system is the primary reason for

Residential Waste and Recyclables

the significant drop in the response rate. However, for the FY 2005 reporting year, there was a reciprocal increase in the response rate over FY 2004 (91% in FY 2005 up from 79% in FY 2004). Consequently it is recommended that a minimum of two more years of survey data be collected before this information can be effectively used to establish any reliable benchmarks or trend lines. Until then the data should only be used to acquire an over-all "annual snapshot" of solid waste and recycling activities in the State.

Collection

FY 2003 - 2005

2003

No. of local governments responding 642 to Solid Waste Management Survey

Solid Waste Service Providers

Local governments

565

providing/arranging for residential

waste collection

Provided by public sector

362

Provided by private sector

379

2004
546
501
336 379

2005
631
593
335 356

In the table entitled Residential Waste & Recyclables Collection the changing role of local governments as solid waste collection service providers is highlighted. Many local governments have opted to "arrange for"

Types of Residential Programs
Curbside/backdoor City County

400

374

436

62

60

66

rather than "provide" solid waste collection services. Over the past decade, we have seen the solid waste collection role of the private sector increase. One potential trend appears to be the changing role in providing recycling services. While it is impossible to state with any certainty, it appears that the number of local governments providing recycling services has declined from 2003 to 2005. This change in the general trend could be due to the fluctuating response rate.
There are several tools local governments use to partner with the private sector to manage the waste generated within their communities, including: permits, ordinances, franchise agreements, and/or contracts.

Staffed Drop-off City County
Unstaffed Drop-off City County
Dumpsters (Green box) City County
Recycling Service Providers Local governments making residential recycling services available Provided by public sector Provided by private sector Provided by non-profit organization

37

44

42

87

95

80

43

17

40

29

25

43

22

27

23

20

49

25

444

390

395

392

266

264

188

67

77

109

57

N/A

The number of local governments reporting they use permits, ordinances, and/or franchise agreements appears to have

increased immensely from FY 2003 to FY 2005. This may be due in part to the change in the wording of the question as well as

the section of the survey in which the question was asked.

Permits and ordinances governing the collection of solid waste are typically the least restrictive tools local governments use to

manage solid waste collection in their community. Collection ordinances typically establish general standards by which a private

sector service provider must operate.

Franchise agreements, either exclusive or open, generally establish a minimum level of services that must be provided by all service providers and usually stipulate the specific operating standards. A contract between a local government and private waste service provider provides the greatest degree of management control over the waste

Private/Public Partnerships for Residential Waste Collection

FY 2003 - 2005

2003

2004

2005

City County City County City County

Private collection does not exist 164

23

158

55

178

59

Issue permit or license

11

13

48

31

56

34

Local ordinance

11

22

230

70

251

79

Franchise agreement

34

9

103

36

134

40

Governments contract

181

41

202

53

248

60

stream, with the local government

Open competition -- no local

33

66

139

66

167

72

setting forth specific performance

government oversight

C - 1

Solid Waste & Recycling Collection 2006 Update

measures and standards to be met by both parties.

As can be seen in the Residential Waste and Recyclables Collection table, the types of residential solid waste collection

services range from "green box" or Dumpster drop-off service to curbside or backdoor pick-up. One trend the Department of

Community Affairs has been tracking for several years is the use of Dumpsters. They are often placed in unsupervised areas,

usually in rural communities, for trash collection and frequently become dumping grounds for everything from household trash

to disabled vehicles, tires, and animal carcasses. They can become an eyesore in a community and attract waste from

neighboring jurisdictions. The number of local governments using green boxes for residential waste collection has dwindled in

recent years. In 1994, 74 cities and 99 counties reported using them for residential waste collection. In

Yard Trimmings Management

FY 2005, just 23 cities and 25 counties reported using

FY 2003 - 2005

green boxes. It appears that around half of the counties using a Green Box system in FY04 did not report using them in FY05.

Promote home

2003

City County

55

41

2004

City County

24

27

2005

City County

25

25

composting and

grasscycling

Yard Trimmings Collection

Provide for collection 355

93

365

57

258

33

and disposal

Collection Options

The number of local governments reporting that they

Staffed drop-off

17

41

14

16

19

28

provide for the collection and disposal of yard trimmings facilities

fell from 448 in FY 2003 to 291 in FY 2005. This

Unstaffed drop-off

10

6

9

3

9

3

decrease may be linked to the increase use of the

facilities

private sector to provide collection services. The private

Curbside collection Accepted at

276 35

16 50

220 3

5 15

294 21

22 32

sector is less likely to offer yard trimmings collection

landfill/transfer station

because of the additional cost associated with its

Other

13

10

13

3

16

6

collection and disposal. The decline may also be due to

the discrepancy in the response rate over the last two years. The type of collection service options ranged from accepting yard

trimmings at solid waste management facilities like a solid waste transfer station to curbside collection programs. The number

of communities reporting they provide collection services has decreased from 448 in FY 2003 to 291 in FY 2005. From the

information reported it appears that this decrease is occurring mainly in the curbside programs and transfer stations accepting

the material, however due to the low response rate it is impossible to present a conclusive finding.

Recyclables Collection

During FY 2005, 395 local governments reported

they provided or arranged for residential recycling

500

services in their communities. As can be seen in the Residential Recycling Services Providers graph, 450

the strong tradition of public, private, and non-profit 400

partnerships used to provide recycling services

throughout Georgia continues. However it appears

350

that the number of private vendors has increased

300

slightly while the non-profit organizations have

decreased; this could also be due to the fluctuating

250

response rate.

200

Residential Recycling Service Providers FY 2003 - 2005

The number of local governments whose residents

150

have access to recycling services appears to have slowly dwindled during the last three years however 100

this could be due to the fluctuating response rate.

50

Collection programs for glass, scrap metal,

aluminum, and newspaper had fallen dramatically

0

in FY 2004, however they have all risen significantly

in FY 2005; the increase in the number of

communities reporting aluminum, newspaper,

plastic containers, and electronics collection

programs appears to indicate a trend beyond just

the number or communities responding to the

survey.

2003

2004

2005

Governments with recycling services available to residents Provided by public sector Provided by private vendor Provided by non-profit organization

C - 2

Solid Waste & Recycling Collection 2006 Update
Collection programs appear to have been trimmed mainly from small, rural communities. Some of the decrease may be attributed to the low survey response rate. On a more positive note, more jurisdictions reported collecting problem wastes such as electronic items.
As shown in the Number of Jurisdictions Collecting Materials for Recycling tables on page C-4, there was an increase in the number of local governments making residential recycling services available in their jurisdictions.
Nationally and regionally, market prices for recycled materials have varied widely. Virtually any recyclable commodity price, when tracked over time, varies greatly. This affects which materials some local governments choose to recycle, given their budget restraints and shifting priorities.
This report does not address the scale of the individual local recycling operations, which would be difficult to quantify. Rather, it focuses upon the level of recycling services being offered throughout the state. Since 1992, newspaper has been reported as the residential recyclable material most widely collected in Georgia, followed by aluminum cans. The most popular commodities recycled from residences were newspaper (509 jurisdictions reporting collection); aluminum (452); magazines (378); corrugated cardboard (368); and #1 plastic (360.) round-off the top five most recycled materials category during FY 2005. After trending drastically down in FY 2004 glass has rebounded sharply in FY 2005 this fluctuation could be attributed to the response rate. Although some recyclers have dropped glass from their programs, saying prices have fallen to the point that dealing with the material (which can be a contaminant for other recyclables if not handled properly) is no longer worth the trouble. Glass proponents claim that markets for the material have strengthened in the last two year, and that with care and proper equipment maintenance, glass should not be a problem for a recycling operation. The tables on page C-4 tally the number of local governments collecting commercial and residential materials for recycling.
Recyclables Processing
In FY 2005 176 local governments reported processing residential recyclables as source separated materials, or reported that they collect source-separated materials from their customers. Source-separated means the materials are separated before being collected, typically by the consumer. For example, a homeowner may have to place glass, plastic and metal in separate containers before collection. Commingled collection means the consumer places all the material in one container and the material is sorted after collection, often by paid staff, inmates or probationers

Processing of Residential Recyclables

FY 2003 - 2005

2003

2004

2005

City County City County City County

Source-separated

142

75

75

97

79

97

Commingled

41

12

32

12

46

14

Both

32

35

8

10

6

9

Unknown

94

11

52

34

32

21

C - 3

Solid Waste & Recycling Collection 2006 Update

Number of Jurisdictions Collecting

Residential Materials for Recycling by Type

FY 2001 - 2005

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Number of Jurisdictions Collecting

Commercial Materials for Recycling by Type

FY 2001 - 2005

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Automobile components

tires

98

89

88

62

54

auto batteries

74

70

71

44

38

motor oil

82

71

75

50

36

Automobile components tires auto batteries antifreeze motor oil oil filters Metals aluminum steel cans

141

137

136

117

142

88

93

91

89

100

15

22

24

18

21

109

101

93

66

95

22

17

23

18

28

375

362

334

292

452

173

165

157

118

226

Metals aluminum scrap metal Paper newspaper magazines corrugated cardboard white paper phone books other paper Misc. plastic glass

249

249

238

248

196

175

170

168

106

94

270

258

257

293

254

218

202

198

189

84

268

257

253

202

177

184

190

177

98

66

181

176

168

163

71

154

153

148

92

50

353

353

326

214

181

193

176

177

139

57

scrap metal aerosol cans Paper newspaper magazines corrugated cardboard phone books paper board other paper Misc. #1 plastic #2 plastic other plastic

223

212

214

124

208

38

41

40

16

39

406

380

365

344

509

315

298

280

269

378

332

314

287

280

368

250

241

234

202

322

126

129

132

111

72

238

234

206

172

236

276

268

256

247

360

259

244

255

208

311

85

85

76

52

69

glass

293

266

251

180

303

white goods

263

250

239

246

225

Christmas trees

262

245

244

253

262

C&D materials

66

60

65

51

48

Transfer Stations

agricultural chemical

23

22

23

15

10

containers

With fewer, more regional-sized landfills in the state and a

electronics

20

27

40

12

76

wide array of solid waste collection programs, solid waste

Household

transfer stations continue to be a popular method of streamlining solid waste collection services. Transfer stations are especially effective when collection routes are farther than 50 miles from a landfill. Combining several

Hazardous

Waste

paint

19

21

24

42

29

cleaning products

6

8

10

0

2

pesticides

4

3

7

4

4

conventional rear-loader garbage truck loads into a single

other

12

25

21

19

12

tractor-trailer for the trip to the landfill saves fuel costs, vehicle wear and tear, and means fewer trucks can service more customers. Only 20 cities reported that they or their

n/a: Question not asked on that year's survey *Prior to the 2000 survey, DCA did not separate #1 and #2 plastics in its survey.

contractors used transfer stations for the collection or

disposal of residential waste in FY 1995. By FY 2005, 157

cities or their contractors were using transfer stations to manage residential waste.

Use of Solid Waste

Transfer Stations

FY 2001 - 2005

City

County

2001

142

63

2002

143

67

2003

146

70

2004

153

70

2005

157

72

C - 4

Solid Waste & Recycling Collection 2006 Update

Georgia banned yard trimmings from lined

Yard Trimmings Management

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills in 1996, as part of an effort to extend landfill disposal capacity. Effective Sept. 1, 1996, each city, county and solid waste management authority was required to impose restrictions on yard

Promote Home Composting and Beneficial Reuse

FY 2003 - 2005

2003

City

County

2004

City

County

55

41

24

27

2005

City

County

25

25

trimmings generated in or disposed within their

jurisdiction. The restrictions required that yard

Provide for collection and disposal

355

93

365

57

258

33

trimmings:

Not be placed in or mixed with municipal solid waste;

Not available

Collection

133

61

137

86

178

96

Be sorted and stored for collection to facilitate composting or other handling;

Your government Another government Solid Waste Authority

253

67

308

54

242

76

18

16

18

12

17

22

11

7

7

6

8

11

To the maximum extent feasible be

Private vendor via individual

7

20

8

20

11

24

sorted, stockpiled or chipped for composting subscription

or used as a mulch or for other beneficial

Private vendor via government contract

30

10

19

12

35

11

purposes;

Collection Options

Be banned from disposal at MSW

Staffed drop-off facilities

17

41

16

23

16

32

disposal facilities having liners and leachate

Unstaffed drop-off facilities Curbside collection

10 276

6 16

9 220

6 15

10 240

8 16

collection systems;

Accepted at landfill/transfer

35

50

19

39

21

44

Annually, DCA surveys local governments to determine how they collect, process and use

station Other

13

10

8

6

8

6

yard trimmings generated within their

Processing Methods

communities. During FY 2005, 25 cities and 25 counties reported actively promoting waste minimization practices such as home composting or beneficial reuse of yard

Composting Solid waste landfill Inert landfill

46

11

46

12

48

18

40

8

35

8

22

8

91

46

177

94

154

92

trimmings. During FY 2005, 258 cities and 33 Grind/chip into mulch

173

55

177

55

183

76

counties reported collecting yard trimmings

Own a chipper/shredder

132

23

146

20

143

29

for diversion from MSW landfills. While the total number of local governments

Contract out chipping/shredding Use another local

39

28

35

33

31

33

19

5

17

9

18

9

responding to the survey is about the same in FY03 and FY05, the number of local

government's chipper/shredder Burning

30

3

24

0

24

4

governments reporting they collect materials is significantly lower in FY05. Those that did report that the service was available

Other Beneficial Use

23

8

0

0

23

6

indicated that they provided the collection

Give away

171

49

180

56

178

68

services with just a few indicating they

Sell

contracted with a private vendor to collect

8

9

8

7

8

8

yard trimmings. In many areas, especially

Used by local government

92

29

112

26

97

41

urban and suburban communities, the visible

Becomes property of private contractor

result of the yard trimmings ban has been the

12

8

39

13

39

15

presence of large paper bags of leaves and grass at curbsides. Collection of yard trimmings in paper bags enables

them to be ground into a mulch or feedstock for composting. The majority of local governments who reported collecting

yard trimmings, either ground or shredded the collected material for use as mulch, however 246 local governments

reported disposing the collected materials into an inert landfill. Composting and burning were also reported as common

processing methods Yard trimmings, when processed properly, have numerous beneficial uses in a community. The

use of compost and mulch is extremely beneficial for slowing storm-water runoff and retaining moisture around plants.

Many local governments use processed yard trimmings as mulch for their landscaping and civil engineering applications

or report offering the processed yard trimmings to their citizens for residential landscaping.

C - 5

Disposal and Capacity 2006 Report

During Fiscal Year 2006 the amount of waste sent to Georgia Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and Construction and Demolition (C&D) landfills increased, with imported waste offsetting reduced disposal by Georgians. In 2006, the remaining permitted MSW disposal capacity was approximately 25 years, down from 28 in

Landfill Quick Facts FY 2006
Private Public

2005 and 16 years of remaining permitted C&D landfill space, down from 17 in

MSW

2005. Trends toward privatization of waste collection and disposal infrastructure

Disposal

continue statewide, with transfer stations increasingly popular as landfills become larger and demand larger volumes of waste to operate cost-effectively.

Landfill

9.1 million 3.5 million

tons

tons

16 facilities 49 facilities

Where Does the Waste Go?

Ownership Remaining

Much of the waste disposed of in Georgia enters lined, monitored MSW Landfills. Of the16,928,567 tons of MSW and C&D waste disposed in permitted Georgia disposal facilities during FY 2006, 12,759,735 tons, or 75%, entered lined,

Capacity

Years

18.2

Cubic Yards 230 million

38.7 204 million

monitored landfills meeting federal Subtitle D requirements. Approximately 3,758,010 tons, or 22% entered unlined Construction and Demolition landfills. The remainder was divided among unlined Municipal Solid Waste landfills (182,707 tons, or 1.1%), the state's only MSW incinerator (102,860 tons; 0.6%), and the state's only large-scale MSW composting facility (approximately 50,000 tons.)

C&D
Disposal
Landfill Ownership

3.5 million 752,000 tons tons
18 facilities 34 facilities

Most of the waste disposed in Georgia enters private landfills. In FY 2006, landfill owners/operators reported 9,079,225 tons of waste entering 16 private MSW landfills, compared with 8,947,772 tons entering 15 private MSW landfills in FY 2005. In FY 2006, 3,476,732 tons of waste entered 49 publicly owned MSW

Remaining Capacity

Years

11.9

Cubic Yards 50 million

32.7 32 million

facilities in the state, compared with 3,209,827 tons entering 53 public MSW

landfills the previous year. From FY 1993-2006, the number of MSW landfills operated by cities, counties, and solid waste

authorities dropped from 121 to 49.

Tons

14,000,000

Tons of Waste Disposed FY 1997 - 2006

12,000,000

10,000,000

8,000,000

6,000,000

4,000,000

2,000,000

0 1997

1998

1999

2000

2001 2002
Fiscal Year
MSW C&D
A - 1

2003

2004

2005

2006

Disposal and Capacity 2006 Report

C&D Landfills
Construction and Demolition landfills are permitted disposal facilities that can only accept waste building materials and rubble resulting from construction, remodeling, repair, and demolition operations on pavements, houses, commercial buildings and other structures. Such wastes include, but are not limited to, yard trimmings, asbestos-containing waste, wood, bricks, metal, concrete, wall board, paper, cardboard, inert waste landfill material, and other nonputrescible wastes which have a low potential for groundwater contamination.
In FY 2006, landfill operators reported 3,525,015 tons of waste entering 18 private C&D facilities, while 752,452 tons of waste entered 34 publicly owned facilities.

Permitted Solid Waste Management Facilities FY 1999-20061

Inert Landfills Collection Operations2 Transfer Stations On-Site Thermal Treatment Facilities On-site Processing Facilities Municipal Solid Waste Landfills Construction and Demolition Landfills Recovered Materials Processing Facilities Composting Facilities Waste-to-Energy Facility

1999
2,167 538 161 79 75 70 32
5 4 1

2000
2,304 610 176 83 84 69 34
5 3 1

2001
2,399 708 202 88 92 62 33
5 3 1

2002
2,424 775 230 89 95 60 46
3 3 1

2003
2,354 796 233 99 90 58 51
0 3 1

2004
2,389 872 76 101 93 58 54
1 3 1

2005
2,373 891 76 101 99 55 54
1 3 1

2006
2,437 946 78 96 100 65 52
1 3 1

Air Curtain Destructors

1

3

1

3

0

5

5

5

Commercial Industrial Waste Landfill

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1. Operating as of July 2006; some facilities cease operations or are added, so these figures may differ from those used elsewhere in this

report.

2. Collection operations are any entity that collects waste from residential or commercial locations.

Unlined Landfills
During FY 2006, 182,707 tons of waste was disposed in five unlined MSW landfills. This represents approximately 1.1% of the total waste entering MSW landfills in Georgia. As of July 2006, five unlined MSW facilities were still operating under their original EPDapproved permits, and had not reached their closure capacity. Until they do, they must adhere to the same operating procedures and methane monitoring requirements as their more modern counterparts. When the unlined facilities close, they will be capped and monitored under federal Subtitle D regulations. There is no time limit

Unlined Landfills Accepting MSW

FY 2006

County

Facility Name

Total Tons Disposed

Avg. Daily Tons

Remaining Capacity
(CY)

Bibb Decatur*
Grady Liberty
McIntosh
Total

Macon-Walker Road Phase 2 (SL) Decatur Co.-S.R. 309 Bainbridge Phase 2 (SL) Cairo-6th Ave. (SL) U.S. Army-Ft. Stewart Main Cantonment (SL) McIntosh CountyKing Road (SL)

116,405 9,365
30,640 13,506
12,790
182,707

378

2,339,096

62

337,311

47

862,832

53

669,281

540 4,208,520

Average

36,541 108 1,052,130

*This facility ceased receiving waste in July 2006

Remaining Capacity (Years)
10
11 33
20
19

for these landfills to meet Subtitle D regulations, but they will not be granted expansion permits. It is likely that a very small percentage of MSW generated in Georgia will continue to be disposed in unlined landfills for years to come.

A - 2

Disposal and Capacity 2006 Report

Other Disposal Facilities
There is one MSW incinerator operating in Georgia accepting MSW. Located in Chatham County, the operation is also known as a waste-to-energy facility. The facility receives an average of 384 tons per day, mostly from the city of Savannah. During FY 2006, 102,860 tons of waste were incinerated at this facility. There are several other types of incinerators in public and private use that accept only specialized waste, such as wood waste.
Another unique waste disposal operation in Georgia is Cobb County's MSW composting facility. The facility accepts approximately 186 tons per day of MSW collected in Cobb County. The composting process results in a clean, beneficial soil amendment given to Cobb residents free of charge. During FY 2006, approximately 50,000 tons of MSW was processed at the Cobb Composting facility.
Imported Waste
The amount of waste brought to Georgia from other states and disposed is nearly 10 times greater than it was in FY 1998. Waste imports rose from 1,638,292 tons in FY 2005 to 1,736,865 in FY 2006. Most of the waste brought to Georgia from other states is MSW (91%); the remainder is C&D waste. Out-of-state waste amounts to 10.3% of the total amount of waste disposed in Georgia or 13.4% of the waste entering MSW landfills in the state. (See Imported Waste FY 19972006) It is difficult to track border waste exchange, and it is suspected that in most cases, it travels relatively short distances across state lines. Based on telephone interviews with transfer station operators that ship waste out of state, it is believed that approximately 150,000 tons per year of Georgia-generated waste is sent to neighboring states.

Imported Waste FY 1997 - 2006

2000000

1800000

1600000

1400000

1200000

Tons

1000000

800000

600000

400000

200000

0 1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Fiscal Year

2003

2004

2005

2006

Permitted capacity, or the amount of available space in landfills to dispose of tightly compacted waste, grew from 471 million cubic yards in FY 2005 to 516 million cubic yards in FY 2006. Georgia has an estimated 25.2 years of remaining permitted MSW landfill capacity statewide, based upon 2006 disposal rates. A breakdown by Regional Development

A - 3

Disposal and Capacity 2006 Report

Center, can be found on page A-9. The projection of remaining capacity is based upon current disposal rates and disposal capacity permitted by the Georgia EPD, but not necessarily built landfill space. The number of MSW landfills in Georgia has fallen since tighter federal regulations were adopted in the mid-1990s, but the number of C&D landfills has increased to 52 in FY 2006. In FY 1993, there were 187 public and private landfills in Georgia, and 75% of these were small facilities that only accepted waste generated within the host county. For FY 2006, approximately 53% of the state's total remaining capacity sits in just seven facilities, although there are 117 active permitted landfills in Georgia. These gains in remaining disposal capacity have occurred while smaller or older landfills are closed and enter lengthy post-closure monitoring periods. The public sector owns and operates a greater number of C&D facilities in the state, but it manages only 38% of the statewide C&D disposal capacity. The table entitled `Georgia Landfills with Most Remaining Permitted Disposal Capacity FY 2006' on page A-6 ranks the top ten landfills in the state by remaining disposal capacity.
The map on page A 5 illustrates regional capacity for MSW landfills, and highlights the importance of sound solid waste planning. A solid waste authority in the South Georgia RDC had received a permit for 13.5-million cubic yards of airspace for a new MSW landfill, but the facility was never constructed and the permit expired. That caused the region to lose approximately 20 years of disposal capacity, from 25 years to only five years of permitted disposal capacity.
Landfill Capacity by Type FY 1997 - 2006
600,000,000

500,000,000

Cubic Yards

400,000,000 300,000,000 200,000,000

MSWL SL C&D/L Total

100,000,000

0 1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Fiscal Year

2003

2004

2005

2006

A - 4

Disposal and Capacity 2006 Report

Remaining MSW Landfill Capacity

FY 2006

FY 2005

Map prepared by: Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Source: Years of remaining capacity by Regional Development Center was calculated using EPD-supplied average rate of fill and cubic yards of remaining capacity, based on 260 operating days per year.
A - 5

Legend
Less than 10 years 10 - 19 years 20 - 29 years 30 years and above

Disposal and Capacity 2006 Report

Georgia Landfills with Most Remaining Permitted Disposal Capacity

FY 2006

County Facility Name Total Tons Domain Facility Remaining Avg. Rate of

Remaining

Disposed

Type Capacity (CY) Daily Fill (CYD) Permitted Capacity

FY 2006

Tons

(Years)

Richmond Richmond Co. -

313,361 Public

MSWL

Deans Bridge Rd.

Phase 3

52,003,404

1,558

2,345

110

Cherokee Cherokee Co. - Pine

1,232,224 Private

MSWL

Bluff Landfill, Inc.

50,113,926

4,371

6,096

29

DeKalb DeKalb Co. -

429,103 Public

MSWL

Seminole Rd Ph 2a, 3,

& 4 (SL)

50,214,225

1,514

1,824

78

Taylor Allied Services, LLC -

991,439 Private

MSWL

S.R. 90/ S.R. 137

43,649,249

4,000

5,000

28

Butts

Butts Co. - Pine Ridge

930,353 Private

MSWL

Recycling

35,712,142

3,164

4,328

31

Camden Camden Co. - S.R.

176,742 Public

C&D

110 C/D/I Landfill

23,031,586

666

740

100

Forsyth Eagle Point Landfill

565,046 Private

MSWL

22,087,223

1,958

3,204

24

Banks Chambers R&B

831,876 Private

MSWL

Landfill Site #2

19,810,769

1,958

3,204

24

Gwinnett BFI-Richland Creek

908,013 Private

MSWL

Rd (SL)

18,302,636

2,956

5,002

13

Fulton Willow Oak C&D

499,596 Private

C&D

Landfill

15,235,685

1,713

2,636

20

Total

6,877,753

330,160,845 23,858 34,379

(Avg.) 36

A - 6

Disposal and Capacity 2006 Report

Regional Development Center
Atlanta Regional Commission Central Savannah River Area Chattahoochee Flint Coastal Georgia Coosa Valley Georgia Mountains Heart of Georgia-Altamaha Lower Chattahoochee McIntosh Trail Middle Flint Middle Georgia North Georgia Northeast Georgia South Georgia Southeast Georgia Southwest Georgia
Statewide C&D Total

Disposal Capacity by RDC

Construction and Demolition Waste Landfills

FY 2006

Total Tons

Remaining Permitted Capacity Remaining Permitted Capacity

Disposed

(Cubic Yards)

(Years)

2,899,910 63,442 48,308
180,951 55,870
516,261 29,961 8,501 23,913 10,128
125,282 n/a
198,641 9,494
43,621 63,204

26,997,185 4,074,587 275,275
23,109,944 850,916
3,518,915 713,738 n/a 24,067 6,954
3,845,652 n/a
17,952,521 48,375 n/a
348,146

7.4 38.7 4.4 115.9
9.2 4.5 7.9 n/a 0.6 0.3 19.5 n/a 47.0 1.9 n/a 2.5

4,277,487

81,766,275

15.9

Regional Development Center
Atlanta Regional Commission Central Savannah River Area Chattahoochee Flint Coastal Georgia Coosa Valley Georgia Mountains Heart of Georgia-Altamaha Lower Chattahoochee McIntosh Trail Middle Flint Middle Georgia North Georgia Northeast Georgia South Georgia Southeast Georgia Southwest Georgia
Statewide MSW Total

Disposal Capacity by RDC

Municipal Solid Waste Landfills

FY 2006

Total Tons

Remaining Permitted Capacity Remaining Permitted Capacity

Disposed
3,015,144 392,565 118,095 594,103 546,900
1,502,704 747,300 69,072 971,903
1,039,190

(Cubic Yards)

122,374,197 54,519,360 2,368,952 9,374,901 22,923,918 50,546,814 15,322,854 5,398,814 36,059,840 54,451,216

(Years)
30.3 81.8 17.7 12.1 26.6 22.8 16.2 38.9 31.0 38.9

666,548 316,395 982,132 722,747 602,469 268,690

17,063,649

14.9

9,790,098

20.7

5,936,808

5.0

4,136,003

5.0

16,311,823

18.3

7,339,812

19.4

12,555,957

433,919,059

25.2

Note: For the purposes of reporting regional capacity, MSW landfills that receive C&D waste in specially-designated cells have their tons received recorded as C&D, but their remaining capacity is represented in these tables as MSW, in accordance with their permits. For details on these facilities, please see the table beginning on page A-8.

A - 7

Disposal and Capacity 2006 Report

County

Facility Name

Total Tons Domain Facility

Disposed

Type

FY 2006

Atlanta Regional Commission

C&D

Cherokee Cherokee

Construction And

Demolition Landfill

Cherokee Cherokee Co.-Swims-

SR 92 Ph 5

DeKalb

BFI-East DeKalb

Landfill

DeKalb

APAC/Ga - Donzi Ln

Ph 5a (L)

DeKalb

Rogers Lake Road

C&D Landfill

DeKalb

DeKalb Co.-Seminole

Rd Ph 2 (Sl)

Douglas

Douglas Co. - Cedar

Mt/Worthan Rd Ph 1

(SL)

Fulton

Safeguard Landfill

Management C & D

Fulton

Chadwick Rd Landfill,

Inc.

Fulton

Willow Oak C&D

Landfill

MSW

Cherokee Cherokee Co. - Pine

Bluff Landfill, Inc.

Clayton

Clayton Co. - SR 3

Lovejoy Site # 3

DeKalb

DeKalb Co. -

Seminole Rd Ph 2a, 3,

& 4 (SL)

DeKalb

BFI - Hickory Ridge

(MSWL)

Fulton

Chambers - Bolton Rd

(SL)

Gwinnett

BFI-Richland Creek

Rd (SL)

Central Savannah River Area

C&D

Burke

Burke Co. - Clarke

Rd.

Columbia Columbia Co. -

Sample & Son (C&D)

Jenkins

Jenkins Co. - CR 54

Richmond US Army-Ft.

Gordon/Gibson Rd.

Washington Washington Co. -

Kaolin Rd.

MSW

Columbia Columbia Co. - Baker

Place Rd (Sl), Ph 2

Jefferson

Jefferson Co. - CR138

Richmond Richmond Co. -

Deans Bridge Rd.

Washington Washington Co. -

Kaolin Rd.

Chattahoochee Flint

C&D

Coweta

Coweta Co. - Ishman

Ballard Rd. Landfill

Troup

LaGrange - I 85/ S.R.

94,651 Private C&D

85,687 Private 201,650 Private 723,251 Private 409,255 Private 112,347 Public
27,633 Public

C&D C&D C&D C&D C&D C&D

405,226 Private 340,614 Private 499,596 Private

C&D C&D C&D

1,232,224 96,766
429,103

Private Public Public

MSWL MSWL MSWL

329,061 19,977
908,013

Private Private Private

MSWL MSWL MSWL

19,026
33,140 5,953 3,587 1,736

Public Private
Public Public Public

C&D C&D
C&D C&D MSWL

61,884
7,641 313,361
9,679

Public
Public Public
Public

MSWL
MSWL MSWL
MSWL

7,044 27,634

Public Public

C&D MSWL

Remaining Capacity (CY) Average Daily Tons Rate of Fill (CYD)

2,935,877 342,750 393,090
1,744,722 1,291,988
358,507
419,278 1,160,418 3,114,870 15,235,685
50,113,926 3,106,065
50,214,225 563,080 74,265
18,302,636
142,753 3,022,223
769,959 139,652
66,326
2,000 1,352,229 52,003,404 1,095,401
160,537 130,448

339 279 768 2,356 1,632 266
94 1,324
909 1,713
4,371 313
1,514 1,576
70 2,956
26 98 18 32 31
8 41 1,558 43
13 60

499 558 1,040 2,067 2,511 443
189 2,648 1,363 2,636
6,096 626
1,824 1,898
96 5,002
105 148
41 65 46
12 82 2345 120
27 120

Remaining Permitted Capacity (Years)
21 2 1 3 2 3
7 2 8 20
29 16
78 1 3
13
5 65 76 13
6
0 53 110 37
19 3

A - 8

Disposal and Capacity 2006 Report

County

Facility Name

Total Tons Domain Facility

Disposed

Type

FY 2006

109

Troup

Troup Co. - S.R. 109 Mountville

MSW Troup

LaGrange - I 85/ S.R. 109

Coastal Georgia

C&D

Camden
Glynn Liberty

Camden Co. - S.R. 110 C/D/I Landfill Eller - Whitlock Ave U. S. Army Ft. Stewart Main Cantonment

MSW

Camden

Camden Co. - S.R. 110

Chatham

Savannah - Dean Forest Rd.

Chatham

Superior Landfill & Recycling Center

Liberty

U. S. Army Ft. Stewart Main Cantonment

McIntosh

McIntosh Co. - King Rd.

Coosa Valley

C&D

Bartow

Bartow Co. - S.R. 294 Emerson

Floyd

Floyd Co. - Rome Walker Mtn. Rd.

Paulding

Paulding Co. Gulledge Rd.

Walker

Walker Co. - Marble Top Rd.

MSW

Bartow

Bartow Co. - S.R. 294 Emerson

Floyd

Rome Walker Mtn. Rd.,

Gordon

Gordon Co. Redbone Ridge Rd.

Polk

Polk Co. - Grady Rd.

Georgia Mountains

C&D

Forsyth Forsyth
Hall

Eagle Point Landfill Greenleaf Recycling, LLC Reliable Tire Service

Habersham Habersham Co. S.R.13

13,630

Public

C&D

118,095

Public

MSWL

176,742
4,163 46

Public
Private Public

C&D
C&D C&D

62,617 104,265 397,029
13,506 16,686

Public Public Private Public Public

MSWL
MSWL
MSWL
Unlined MSWL Unlined MSWL

74 11,315
25 44,456

Public Public Public Public

C&D C&D C&D C&D

132,987 79,373 43,912
290,628

Public Public Public Public

MSWL MSWL MSWL MSWL

232,607 69,046
195,754 10,000

Private Private
Private Public

MSWL C&D
C&D MSWL

Rabun
Stephens
MSW Banks
Forsyth Habersham
Hall

Rabun Co. -- Boggs Mountain Stephens Co.-S.R. 145
Chambers R&B Landfill Site #2 Eagle Point Landfill Habersham Co. S.R.13 Hall Co.-Candler Rd. (S.R. 60)

4,781 4,073

Public Public

C&D C&D

831,876
565,046 24,620
81,162

Private
Private Public
Public

MSWL
MSWL MSWL
MSWL

Remaining Capacity (CY) Average Daily Tons Rate of Fill (CYD)

114,738

45

91

2,238,504

334

514

23,031,586 78,358 n/a
1,761,903 2,121,158 3,959,727
862,832 669,281

666 13 n/a
223 352 1,220
47 53

740 27 n/a
447 704 1,627
94 106

11,000 265,577
2,114 572,225
905,000 5,350,259 13,218,800 3,449,859
1,859,779 536,725
2,703,295
34,878 242,520
36,375
19,810,769 22,087,223
952,993 5,801,172

N/A 35
N/A 150
323 274 142 1200
840 225 629
37 17 15
3,021 1,958
83 257

N/A 54
N/A 301
489 548 273 2,000
1,400 450 939
106 48 30
4,648 3,204
157 514

Remaining Permitted Capacity (Years) 4
14
100 9
n/a
15 11
6 33 20
N/A 16
N/A 7
6 32 178
6
5 4 10
1 19
5
15 24 20 36

A - 9

Disposal and Capacity 2006 Report

County

Facility Name

Total Tons Domain Facility

Disposed

Type

FY 2006

Heart of Georgia-Altamaha

C&D

Appling

Appling Co.-Roaring

Creek

Laurens

Laurens Co. - Old

Macon Road

Toombs

Toombs Co. - S1898

MSW

Candler

Candler Co. - S.R.

121

Laurens

Laurens Co. - Old

Macon Rd.

Telfair

Telfair Co. - CR 144

Toombs

Toombs Co. - S 1898

Wayne

Wayne Co. - S.R. 23

Broadhurst

Lower Chattahoochee

C&D

Muscogee Columbus, Pine

Grove

MSW

Muscogee Columbus, Pine

Grove

McIntosh Trail

C&D

Spalding

Spalding Co. -

Griffin/Shoal Creek

Rd. (Phase 2)

MSW

Butts

Butts Co. - Pine Ridge

Recycling

Lamar

Lamar Co. - Cedar

Grove Regional

Middle Flint

C&D

Macon

Macon Co. - Middle

Georgia SWMA

Regional MSWL

Dooly

Dooly Co. -- CR 101

MSW

Crisp

Crisp Co. - U.S. 41S

Taylor

Allied Services, LLC -

S.R. 90/ S.R. 137

Middle Georgia

C&D

Bibb

Swift Creek Landfill

Baldwin

Central State

Hospital-Freeman

Building

Houston

Houston Co. -

S.R.247 Klondike

Twiggs

Wolf Creek Landfill

LLC

MSW

Bibb

Macon - Walker Rd.

Bibb Baldwin Houston

Swift Creek MSW Landfill Baldwin Co. - Union Hill Church Rd. Houston Co. - S.R. 247 Klondike

3,984

Public

22,401
3,576
11,557
29,860
19,321 59,448 627,114

Public
Public
Public
Public
Public Public Private

C&D
MSWL C&D
MSWL MSWL MSWL MSWL MSWL

8,501

Public

MSWL

69,072

Public

MSWL

23,913

Public

C&D

930,353 41,550

Private Public

MSWL MSWL

6,462

Public

MSWL

3,666
47,751 991,439

Public
Public Private

C&D
MSWL MSWL

23,216 34

Private Public

C&D C&D

52,592 49,440

Public Private

C&D MSWL

116,405 222,651
23,388 153,515

Public Private Public Public

Unlined MSWL MSWL
MSWL
MSWL

Remaining Capacity (CY) Average Daily Tons Rate of Fill (CYD)

455,592 418,662 258,146
380,497 2,170,402
571,336 1,702,689 10,079,268
251,862
5,146,722

16 74 75
46 99 69 150 2,182
34
276

31 167 150
76 213 138 300 2,909
68
533

24,067
35,712,142 347,698

76
3,164 147

152
4,328 152

514,973 6,954
10,286,994 43,649,249
364,441
6,326 3,474,885
194,791
2,339,096 1,676,440 2,373,750 4,098,368

25 14 189 4,000
25
0 156 200
378 959
69 516

71 28 386 5,000
44
1 312 400
746 1,323
138 860

Remaining Permitted Capacity (Years)
57 8 6
20 33 15 20 12
15
37
0
31 8
28 1
106 28
31
17 36
2
10 5
60 15

A - 10

Disposal and Capacity 2006 Report

County

Facility Name

Monroe

Monroe Co. -

Strickland Loop Rd.

Twiggs

Wolf Creek Landfill

North Georgia

MSW

Murray

Murray Co. - U.S. 411

Westside

Whitfield

Whitfield Co. - Dalton,

Old Dixie Hwy.

Northeast Georgia

C&D

Newton

Newton Co. - Forest

Tower/Lower River

Rd.

Oglethorpe Olgethorpe Co. - U.S.

78 Phase 2

Walton

U.S. 78 C&D Landfill

Walton

Walton C&D

MSW

Barrow

Republic Waste - Oak

Grove S.R. 324

Clarke

Clarke Co. - Athens

Dunlap Rd.

Newton

Newton Co. - Lower

River Rd.

South Georgia

C&D

Ben Hill

Fitzgerald-Kiochee

Church Rd.

Cook

Cook Co. - Taylor Rd.

Adel

MSW

Cook

Cook Co. - Taylor Rd.

Lowndes

Veolia ES Pecan Row

Tift

Tifton-

Omega/Eldorado Rd.

Southeast Georgia

C&D

Atkinson

Atkinson Co.-S.R. 50

Coffee

Transwaste Services,

Inc. C.R. 129/17

MSW

Atkinson

Atkinson Co.-S.R. 50

Charlton

Chesser Island Road

Landfill, Inc.

Southwest Georgia

C&D

Dougherty Dougherty Co.-

Fleming/Gaissert Rd.

Thomas

Thomasville/Sunset

Dr.

MSW

Decatur

Decatur Co. - S.R.

309 Bainbridge

Dougherty Grady

Dougherty Co. Fleming/Gaissert Rd. Cairo-Sixth Ave

Thomas

Thomasville/Sunset Dr.

Total Tons Domain Facility

Disposed

Type

FY 2006

13,702

Public

MSWL

136,887

Public

MSWL

143,756 172,639

Public Public

MSWL MSWL

14,647

Public

C&D

26,287 71,177 86,530
809,958 99,264 72,910

Public Private Private
Private Public Public

C&D C&D C&D
MSWL MSWL MSWL

2,246 9,494

Public Public

MSWL C&D

9,252 665,936
47,559

Public Private Public

MSWL MSWL MSWL

43,609 12

Public Private

MSWL C&D

53,921 548,548

Public Private

MSWL MSWL

19,613 Public 43,591 Public
9,365 Public 101,778 Public
30,640 Public 126,907 Public

MSWL
C&D
Unlined MSW
Landfill MSWL
Unlined MSW
Landfill MSWL

Remaining Capacity (CY) Average Daily Tons Rate of Fill (CYD)

2,318,013 4,063,191

43

96

750

1,250

1,288,450 8,501,648

421

877

566

943

61,972 934,042 13,795,934 3,160,573
3,174,748 1,429,370 1,332,690
N/A 48,375 603,675 2,703,420 828,908
876,834 n/a
3,431,274 12,003,715
367,845 348,146 Ceased accepting waste 7/06 3,889,918
337,311 2,744,738

66 97 276 309
2,885 282 171
N/A 50 50
2,548 194
173 n/a 207 2,250
64 256
N/A 333
62 471

132 194 524 618
3,706 564 342
N/A 100 100 2,831 258
326 n/a 296 2,813
84 449
N/A 658
124 673

Remaining Permitted Capacity (Years) 74 11
5 29
1 15 103 18
3 8 11
N/A 2
22 3
12
10 n/a 45 15
14 3
N/A 19
11 15

A - 11

Per Capita Disposal 2006 Solid Waste Management Update

The amount of garbage entering Georgia's Municipal Solid Waste landfills in recent years on a per-capita basis has remained fairly constant, with only minor fluctuations.
Since FY 1994, the per capita municipal solid waste disposal rate has climbed from 5.66 lbs/person/day to 7.52 lbs/person/day. However, a rise in imported waste accounts for half of that increase. Looking at records that exclude the amount of waste disposed from out-of-state sources, the per capita MSW disposal rate has been lower, climbing from 5.55 lbs/person/day in FY 1994 to 6.48lbs/person/day in FY 2006. To reach the 25% goal, removed by the Legislature in 2004, no more than 5.33 pounds can enter Georgia MSW landfills per person, per day; regardless of its source.
As can be seen in the Per Capita Daily Waste Disposal graph, there is more than one way to track per-capita disposal rates. In FY 2006, the Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division (EPD) reported a total of 16,289,908 tons of waste disposed in Construction/Demolition and MSW landfills in the state. When looking at the reported total amounts of waste disposed, the per capita waste disposal was 9.77 lbs/person/day in FY 2006, down slightly from 9.85/person/day in FY 2005. This figure represents all waste entering MSW and C&D landfills. It includes residential waste, sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants, some industrial waste, construction debris, commercial and business waste, and waste brought here from other states. It does not include waste sent to incinerators or composting operations.

Per-Capita Daily Waste Disposal FY 1995-2006

12.00 10.00
8.00 6.00 4.00 2.00 0.00

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Total Waste

MSW

Georgia MSW

C&D

Total Goal

B-1

Per Capita Disposal 2006 Update

Looking at the disposal rate at MSW landfills only, including waste disposed from out-of-state sources, the per capita disposal rate returned to its 2004 rate of 7.52 pounds per person per day. When excluding out-of-state waste imports, the daily per capita MSW disposal rate is 6.48 lbs/person/day. It should be noted that these rates reflect all waste entering a MSW landfill as reported to the EPD, not just MSW. According to a 2001 study, about two-thirds of the waste disposed in MSW landfills is actually MSW. Based upon this estimate, the FY 2006 per capita MSW disposal rate, excluding waste imported into the state, is approximately 4.27 lbs/person/day. Imported waste has grown from representing 0.1/lb/person/day in 1998 to 1.13 lbs/person/day in FY 2006.

Fiscal Year
1995

Georgia Waste Disposal Rate and Population

FY 1995-2006

Population Total

Total Total Waste Out of Total

Waste Waste Disposed in State MSW

Landfilled Landfilled
(Millions of tons) (Pounds/ person/day)

MSW Landfills
(Tons)

Waste
(Tons)

(Pounds/ person/day)

7,161,485

9.54

7.30

7,684,271

149,481

5.88

1996

7,332,311

9.78

7.31

7,222,499

160,000

5.40

1997

7,503,138

9.86

7.20

7,925,222

172,150

5.79

1998

7,673,965

10.75

7.68

9,026,078

193,819

6.44

1999

7,844,792

11.43

7.98

9,382,622

453,875

6.55

2000

8,015,626

12.71

8.69

9,724,736

511,472

6.65

2001

8,186,453

13.36

8.94

10,678,980

893,651

7.15

2002

8,383,915

13.04

8.52

10,233,692

950,779

6.68

2003

8,544,005

14.25

9.14

11,135,473

1,197,686

7.14

2004

8,684,715

15.77

9.95

11,916,124

1,633,182

7.52

2005

8,918,129

16.46

9.85

12,155,598

1,627,044

7.47

2006

9,132,553

16.66

9.77

12,531,898

1,889,312

7.52

GA MSW
(Pounds/ person/day)
5.77 5.28 5.66 6.31 6.24 6.30 6.55 6.05 6.38 6.50 6.52 6.48

For more information regarding Georgia's solid waste management or for a glossary of terms used in this report, contact the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management at 404-679-4940, or online at www.dca.state.ga.us
B-2

MSW and C&D Landfill Tipping Fees 2006 Solid Waste Management Update

Landfill tipping fees across Georgia remain competitive with other Southeastern states. Posted gate rate tipping fees have steadily risen in recent years, but the increasing amount of waste sent to Georgia for disposal indicates the actual contract prices per ton remain attractive to waste hauling companies, compared with our neighboring states.
Annually during the month of July, DCA conducts a phone survey of the landfills in the state to identify their posted "gate rate" tipping fee to calculate regional and statewide average disposal fees. Based upon these surveys, the average tipping fee for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the state remained basically flat, rising only slightly from $35.38 per ton in 2005 to $35.51 per ton in 2006. It should be noted that the fees reported represent an average of the posted gate rates charged by landfills throughout the state; actual prices paid are frequently lower, sometimes by more than half, depending on volume discounts offered to waste haulers, businesses, and local governments. Also, several large Atlanta landfills significantly increased their posted gate rates in an effort to dissuade customers with small loads.
DCA also tracks tipping fees for Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste. C&D tipping fees fell, from $30.21 per ton in 2005 to $22.09 per ton in 2006. This is possibly due to the increasingly common practice of MSW landfills dedicating a portion of their operation exclusively to C&D disposal, allowing them to charge rates more competitive with C&D landfills. The requirement to cover all waste daily is waived for C&D landfills, allowing them lower operational costs. Also, they do not have the expensive liner and monitoring requirements that MSW landfills must comply with.

GA MSW Landfill Tipping Fees 2006

2 1

3

5

Legend
$24.86 - $30.00 $30.01 - $35.00 $35.01 - $37.50 $37.51 - $47.28 $35.51 State average

4

7

6

8

9

12

10

11

GA C&D Landfill Tipping Fees 2006

2 1

3

5

Legend
$16.26 - $20.00 $20.01 - $25.00 $25.01 - $27.50 $27.51 - $34.38 $22.09 State average

4

7

6

8

9

12

10

11

Data Source: DCA - Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2006 Map prepared by: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, 2006

Data Source: DCA - Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2006 Map prepared by: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, 2006

D-1

MSW and C&D Landfill Tipping Fees 2006 Update

Average Tipping Fees Paid at Georgia MSW Landfills

Region

Coosa Valley/North Georgia 1

Georgia Mountains

2

Atlanta Regional Commission 3

Chatt. Flint/McIntosh Trail

4

Northeast Georgia

5

Middle Georgia

6

Central Savannah River Area 7

Middle Flint/Lower Chatt.

8

Heart of Georgia-Altamaha

9

Southwest Georgia

10

South Georgia/Southeast Ga. 11

Coastal Georgia

12

McIntosh Trail

Middle Flint

North Georgia

Southeast Georgia

State of Georgia

2006 Average MSW
Tipping Fee $32.38 $37.26 $38.40 $31.90 $36.92 $26.01 $33.55 $35.43 $30.19 $24.86 $35.90 $47.13
$35.51

2005 Average MSW
Tipping Fee $32.48 $36.63 $40.77 $30.00 $36.63 $27.04 $32.79 $27.50 $29.10 $24.60 $31.39 $46.71 $31.71 $37.81 $31.00 $28.36 $35.38

2004 Average MSW
Tipping Fee $31.38 $33.07 $39.32 $30.00 $36.68 $27.00 $34.10 $27.50 $29.39 $24.60 $33.17 $41.61 $31.45 $36.02 $30.99 $28.83 $34.95

Average Tipping Fees Paid at Georgia C&D Landfills

Region

Coosa Valley/North Georgia

1

Georgia Mountains

2

Atlanta Regional Commission 3

Chatt. Flint/ McIntosh Trail

4

Northeast Georgia

5

Middle Georgia

6

Central Savannah River Area 7

Middle Flint/Lower Chatt.

8

Heart of Georgia-Altamaha

9

Southwest Georgia

10

South Georgia/Southeast Ga. 11

Coastal Georgia

12

McIntosh Trail

Middle Flint

North Georgia*

Southeast Georgia

State of Georgia

2006 Average
C&D Tipping Fee
$18.17 $31.20 $21.96 $27.49 $23.31 $16.26 $30.65 $24.38 $25.45 $16.50 $34.38 $14.65
$22.09

2005 Average 2004 Average

C&D

C&D

Tipping Fee Tipping Fee

$26.70 $29.99 $31.46 $27.36 $24.78 $21.64 $28.78 $25.00 $24.29 $22.24 $24.11 $31.34 $26.55 $22.50
$28.48 $30.21

$29.29 $21.45 $29.09 $27.67 $23.78 $23.89 $25.77 $27.50 $24.92 $17.92 $26.51 $29.39 $26.55 $31.00
$21.95 $28.14

*No landfills within this RDC reported charging a separate rate for C&D waste.

D-2

MSW and C&D Landfill Tipping Fees 2006 Update

MSW Landfill Tipping Fees, 2005

North Georgia

Coosa Valley

Georgia Mountains

Atlanta Regional Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend
$20.00 - $24.99 $25.00 - $29.99 $30.00 - $34.99 $35.00 and above

Chattahoochee Flint McIntosh

Trail

Lower Chattahoochee

Middle Georgia

Central Savannah River Area

Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia
South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2005

C&D Landfill Tipping Fees, 2005

North Georgia Coosa Valley

Georgia Mountains

Atlanta Regional Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend
$20.00 or less $20.01 - $23.00 $23.01 - $27.00 $27.01 and above

Chattahoochee

Flint

McIntosh

Trail

Central Savannah River Area

Middle Georgia

Lower Chattahoochee
Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia

South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2005

MSW Landfill Tipping Fees, 2004

North Georgia

Coosa Valley

Georgia Mountains

Atlanta Regional Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend
$20.00 - $24.99 $25.00 - $29.99 $30.00 - $34.99 $35.00 and above

Chattahoochee Flint McIntosh Trail

Lower Chattahoochee

Middle Georgia

Central Savannah River Area

Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia
South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2004

C&D Landfill Tipping Fees, 2004

North Georgia Coosa Valley

Georgia Mountains

Atlanta Regional Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend
$20.00 or less $20.01 - $23.00 $23.01 - $27.00 $27.01 and above

Chattahoochee

Flint

McIntosh Trail

Central Savannah River Area

Middle Georgia

Lower Chattahoochee
Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia

South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2004

Calculating Weighted Average Tipping Fees
To account for tonnage disparities between large and small landfills, a weighted average tipping fee was used. If out-of-county residents or businesses were charged a higher rate than in-county customers, the higher rate was used. Tipping fees charged for MSW at transfer stations were excluded. When tipping fee rates were reported by volume rather than weight, a ratio of four cubic yards to one ton (4 CY: 1 ton) was used to approximate weight-based rates. Weighted averages were calculated for the area served by each RDC and for the state by multiplying the Average Daily Tons received at each facility (ADT) by the per-ton gate fee, divided by the total ADT for all landfill facilities within each RDC and within the state. The process was repeated for C&D landfills. To avoid double counting, Average Daily Tonnage was assigned to the MSW column for those facilities charging the same rate for MSW and C&D waste. Most facilities charge the same rate for C&D and MSW received, but a significant number do not. In these cases, the landfills were asked to provide an approximate ratio of MSW to C&D waste received. Weighted averages were calculated using the method described above, with the Average Daily Tons reported split accordingly between MSW and C&D. For facilities that reported receiving no C&D waste, their fees were not used in calculating average C&D fees. In all RDCs, this dropped the average C&D fee, in some cases resulting in no C&D average cost for certain RDCs.
D-3

Grants and Loans to Local Governments
2006 Solid Waste Management Update
During Fiscal Year 2006, nearly half a million dollars ($470,347.76) in Solid Waste Trust Fund (SWTF) receipts were awarded to Georgia communities to help them manage solid waste. By fostering the development of local, integrated solid waste management programs, the SWTF, funded by a $1 per tire fee when new tires are purchased in the state, is used for scrap tire management and cleanup; closure of abandoned landfills, grants to local governments for waste reduction and recycling; emergency, preventative and corrective actions at solid waste facilities, market development from recycled products; solid waste education and enforcement; and litter prevention and abatement. The fund is used to support the Environmental Protection Division's (EPD) Local Government Scrap Tire Eradication Reimbursement program, the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority's (GEFA) Recycling and Waste Reduction Grant program, solid waste programs offered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and other state agencies, and local government programs striving to reduce and manage the solid waste disposed in Georgia. In addition to the programs supported by the SWTF, the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority and Georgia Department of Community Affairs have other grant and loan programs available to local governments to support their solid waste management efforts.
Environmental Protection Division (EPD)
EPD's Local Government Scrap Tire Eradication Reimbursement program was designed to support local efforts to prevent and enforce against illegal scrap tire and solid waste disposal. The program gives local governments financial incentives to use enforcement and education activities to address:
1. The management of scrap tires, including preventing the illegal dumping of scrap tires;
2. Solid waste reduction and the controlling of illegal dumps; and
3. Other environmental issues.
An eligible applicant may be comprised of one or more local governments. Grant funds are available for establishing and maintaining local programs that uses enforcement, eradication, and education components to meet its program goals. Continued grant funding is not guaranteed from year to year. Renewal requests are based upon need, the performance of the Local Government Scrap Tire Eradication Reimbursement program, and the availability of funds.
Grant information and application material for the Local Government Scrap Tire Eradication Reimbursement program are available on the Environmental Protection Division's web site, www.dnr.state.ga.us under "Environmental" then under "Technical Guidance." Or, contact Winthrop Brown at (404) 362-2537 or email winthrop.brown@dnr.state.ga.us.
EPD disbursed over $196 thousand dollars in Local Government Scrap Tire Eradication Reimbursement program funds in FY 2006. EPD's program prevents against the illegal disposal and management of scrap
F- 1

Grants and Loans to Local Governments 2006 Update
tires and solid waste. The program funded projects in 17 communities, offsetting the local costs to clean up tire piles where the responsible party is either unwilling to remove the tires, cannot afford to remove them, or is unknown. A local government may also use program money to remove tires as part of a community-sponsored clean up event (e.g., Earth Day, America Recycles Day, or Rivers Alive). Below is a list of communities that received funding in 2006.

Community City of Americus Decatur County Evans County Floyd County Fulton County Glynn County

Local Government Scrap Tire Eradication Reimbursement Program Awards

FY 2006

Amount

Community

Amount

Community

$ 3,202.95

Heard County

$ 788.60

Oglethorpe County

$ 7,948.00

Jackson County

$37,000.00

Oglethorpe County

$ 2,929.97

Lanier County

$ 2,400.00

Oglethorpe County

$ 9,217.85

Lowndes County

$78,494.18

Pickens County

$14,600.00

Montgomery County $ 3,159.00

Polk County

$16,080.01

Newton County

$1,563.00

TOTAL

Amount $ 790.70 $ 628.55 $3,427.05 $5,000.00 $9,150.00 $196,380.76

Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA)
GEFA annually administers a program funded by the SWTF that is intended to help local governments foster an integrated approach to solid waste management by supporting waste reduction, recycling, and composting programs. Grants of up to $50,000 are available to qualified cities, counties, and solid waste authorities. Demonstration projects or projects implementing an integrated solid waste management plan designed to help the state reach its waste reduction goal were eligible to receive grants of up to $200,000.
Grant applications are typically due in late March and reviewed in mid-April. Awards are typically announced in May. GEFA Recycling and Waste Reduction Grant applications are available by request or can be downloaded from the GEFA Web site at www.gefa.org. Contact Richard Ross at (404) 584-1031 or rross@gefa.org to request and application or to obtain more information about GEFA's Recycling and Waste Reduction Grant program.
GEFA disbursed $273,967.00 in Recycling and Waste Reduction Grants in FY 2006. The program funded projects in 14 local communities, offsetting the local costs of waste reduction and recycling through the purchase of equipment for local government recycling centers and supporting the development of integrated solid waste management plans. A list of communities awarded grants in 2006 and a brief description of their program are included in the table on the following page.

G-2

Grants and Loans to Local Governments 2006 Update

Community City of Adrian
City of Barnesville City of Forsyth City of Roswell
City of Thomasville Bulloch County Decatur County City of Elberton Forsyth County
Hall County
Jefferson County
Union County
Warren County
City of Waycross
TOTAL

Recycling and Waste Reduction Grants

FY 2006

Amount

Description

$ 713.00

Construction of recycling collection building and one (1) can crusher.

$17,010.00

Purchase of forklift for moving recyclables.

$15,676.87

Purchase of four (4) roll-off containers.

$19,670.00

Complete construction of baler, pit, two (2) 20 ft. storage buildings, and four (4) concrete stalls. Purchase portable display and brochures.

$38,650.00

Purchase of vertical baler for county baling center. Purchase of five (5) 4-bin recycling boxes.

$ 4,649.13

Repair and repaint recycling containers.

$36,500.00

Purchase of used semi-automatic balers for recyclables.

$18,464.00

Purchase of used forklifts for loading baled cardboard onto trucks.

$40,000.00

Purchase of one (1) 4-yard compactor for recyclables. Purchase of five (5) 30-yard covered recycling containers.

$ 3,500.00

Computer and electronics collection day to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina.

$ 7,000.00

Purchase parts to upgrade/repair cardboard baler and metal baler.

$26,812.00

Purchase of 12 mobile recycling bins and 1 year of storage. Purchase of used truck for transporting bins. Advertising.

$ 9,495.00

Purchase of one (1) 3-bin trailer for newspaper, plastic, and aluminum. Purchase of roll-off container for metals.

$29,410.00

Purchase of four (4) 3-bin recycling containers. Construction of new recycling center.

$273,967.00

Another financial support program offered by GEFA is their low interest revolving loan program available to local governments. Drawing upon funds from its bond proceeds and revolving loan program, GEFA loaned $600,000 to one (1) local jurisdiction in FY 2006. The local jurisdiction and a brief description of the project is listed in the table below.

Community City of Jasper TOTAL

Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority

Solid Waste Loans

FY 2006

Amount

Description

$600,000.00

Loan reverted City did not use funds.

$600,000.00

G-2

Grants and Loans to Local Governments 2006 Update

Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA)
DCA annually administers a Local Development Fund Grant program, a state appropriated grant program that provides matching grants to finance community improvement activities, including solid waste management projects. Grants are typically awarded in maximum amounts of $10,000 for single community projects and $20,000 for multi-community projects. Applications are reviewed based on the following criteria:

Feasibility including such factors as reasonableness of budgets and timetables, adequate consideration of all the factors necessary for implementation, commitment from other funding sources, etc.

Impact of the project on the community and community need.

During FY 2006, two (2) Local Development Fund grants were awarded for solid waste management projects with total grant disbursement of $65,000.

Community City of Swainsboro Forsyth County TOTAL

Local Development Fund Grant Program

FY 2006

Amount

Description

$50,000.00

Expand the Recycling and Waste Reduction Center.

$15,000.00 $65,000.00

Purchase equipment for recycling center.

Semi-annual competitions are held in the spring and fall each year. More information on the Local Development Funds is available on DCA's Web site at www.dca.state.ga.us or contact Cynthia Easley at 404679-4789 or ceasley@dca.state.ga.us.

For more information regarding Georgia's solid waste management or for a glossary of terms used in this report, contact the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management at 404-679-4940, or online at www.dca.state.ga.us/environmental/swar.html
G-2