2009 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 Finance Authority (GEFA), to report annually on the state of solid waste management in Georgia. Per the Act, this FY 2009 report, covering the period of July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009, 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 goal established in subsection (c) of Code Section 12-8-21; 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. This and previous reports are available online at www.dca.ga.gov, under Office of Environmental Management programs. 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. Seventy-two (72) cities and twenty (20) counties did not have an approved plan at the end of FY 2009. Local governments that failed to adopt approved solid waste management plans are listed and continually updated online at: www.GeorgiaPlanning.com Revised September 8, 2010 During FY 2009, 14.6 million tons of waste was sent to permitted Georgia disposal facilities. Most of this waste entered lined, monitored landfills operating under federal Subtitle D regulations. 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, generally goes to unlined landfills that are less expensive to operate. The state continues to have an adequate supply of permitted disposal capacity with 35.1 years of remaining permitted Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) disposal capacity and 35.1years of remaining permitted Construction and Demolition (C&D) disposal capacity. Remaining capacity is highly variable; in FY 2008 calculated remaining capacity was approximately 26 years. The same math applied to reduced disposal rates effectively added nine years capacity in a single year; it is important to keep in mind that natural or man-made disasters or policy changes can have just as dramatic effect in the opposite direction. It is important for the state and local governments to carefully monitor the remaining permitted disposal capacity throughout Georgia. In FY 2009 more than half of the permitted disposal capacity in the state was contained in just 5 of the 117 active landfills. This concentration heightens the need to carefully monitor the financial assurances of these and all the disposal facilities in the state. Without proper financial assurance, the incredible costs of cleaning up abandoned, leaking landfills may fall to local governments and possibly the state. This concentrated disposal capacity also emphasizes the need for quality local solid waste management planning. The Northeast Georgia RDC continues to have 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. This process typically takes several years, during which time permits for surrounding facilities may lapse or private sector business arrangements to accept varying rates of material for disposal can greatly alter the projected life expectancy of existing landfills. (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. During FY 2009, 26 cities and 29 counties reported actively promoting waste minimization practices such as home composting or beneficial reuse of yard trimmings. During FY 2009, 304 cities and 45 counties reported collecting yard Revised September 8, 2010 trimmings for diversion from MSW landfills. (See section C: Solid Waste & Recycling Collection of the report for more details.) The increasing use of inert landfills and transfer stations, for which no reporting requirements exist, should be monitored and addressed in local solid waste planning efforts. As the state implements the 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 should be addressed. Education efforts are essential to waste reduction efforts. Keep Georgia Beautiful continues supporting the waste reduction and education efforts of the 77 Keep America Beautiful affiliates in Georgia. As state grant funds that have historically helped local governments educate and enforce litter abatement efforts diminish, these local affiliates are struggling to find the necessary resources to keep their communities livable. 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 $35.97 per ton ($21.46 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 in Georgia, this out-of-state waste is included in the state's progress toward meeting the waste reduction goal, and undercuts waste reduction and recycling efforts undertaken by Georgians. On a per capita basis, 6.82 pounds of waste entered MSW landfills daily during FY 2009, 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) During Fiscal Year 2008, EPD's Scrap Tire program reimbursed a total of $89,509.12 to three local governments for scrap tire pile cleanups. These were the only SWTF dollars disbursed by EPD during FY 2009. The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority did not award any SWTF dollars in FY 2009. No new loans were issued for solid waste-related projects, though GEFA continues to administer prior loans. In FY 2008, DCA's Office of Environmental Management implemented two (2) recycling infrastructure grants, the Away-from-Home Recycling Grant and the Regional Recycling Hub Grant programs, both of which were supported by Solid Waste Trust Fund dollars. DCA awarded $2,567,518 in FY 2008 to fund these Revised September 8, 2010 recycling infrastructure grant programs. The Away-From-Home Recycling grant included $350,000 dollars from the SWTF, a program partner contribution $40,000 Curbside Value Partnership (CVP), and $25,000 in corporate donations from Coca Cola for a total program value of $415,000. The program funded grant projects in 29 communities across the State. So far, more than 42 tons of lightweight materials have been diverted from the waste stream for recycling. More importantly, nearly 3 million patrons attending these special events were exposed to the recycling message. And it's important to note that most of the events using the equipment had never collected recyclables before. The Regional Recycling Hubs grant was funded with $2,217,518 from the SWTF. DCA leveraged additional funding totaling $8,042,950 ($4,938,696 in partnerlevel support and $3,104,254 local government support) for the Hub program. For every $1 (one dollar) of Solid Waste Trust Fund grant funding, DCA leveraged over $3.60 in partner match dollars from private and local government support. Grants were awarded to four (4) local governments across the State. Historically funding from the SWTF had been used to support a variety of local government waste reduction programs throughout the state. In response to the needs identified in the 2006 Annual Solid Waste Report and the need to "change business as usual" to affect a change (reduction) in the amount of MSW waste being disposed in the state, a statewide waste reduction and recycling strategy was drafted with the input of local governments and Georgia businesses using recycled content materials. The four part strategy, presented for implementation and funding is outlined below: Away From Home Recycling Equipment to facilitate recycling at sporting events, festivals and other special events Revised September 8, 2010 Recycling Hubs Infrastructure dollars to develop collection capability leveraging the private sector's shift toward single-stream processing capability, and increasing collection in rural areas of the state. Statewide Recycling Campaign An umbrella marketing campaign focused on increasing recycling participation. This effort will push Georgia residents to look for recycling at special events and their homes and places of work. ReTrac Reporting Metrics All of the above efforts will be tracked via an innovative online reporting mechanism that will link the solid waste annual surveys local governments must complete for DCA, and results from the Away-From-Home recycling campaign. These efforts are in line with a waste reduction goal that identifies specific targets to meet the general goal of reducing the amount of MSW disposed on a per capita basis. The waste disposal characterization study conducted in 2004 identified what Georgians were throwing away on an annual basis. Using this data, DCA was able to identify the Georgia industry demand for these materials and convened a Recycling Stakeholder Group with over 60 representatives, including representatives from businesses, local governments, and other state agencies to formulate a commodity based waste disposal reduction goal(s). Establishing a baseline goal was the first step to measuring waste reduction and recycling success. The group identified the following goals: Commodity Glass Paper Metal Plastic Total Per Capita MSW Disposal Rate/MSW Reduction Goal Actual Projected Projected Projected 2004 2012 % 2017 Lbs/person Lbs/person 2012 Lbs/person 0.153 0.140 8% 0.140 1.181 1.000 15% 0.850 0.228 0.198 13% 0.186 0.663 0.560 16% 0.530 2.23 1.99 11% 1.71 Projected % 2017 8% 28% 18% 20% 23% In FY 2008, for the first time, Georgia saw a significant reduction in the per-capita disposal rate. The amount of waste sent to MSW landfills for every Georgia resident fell nearly half a pound, from 7.45 to 6.82 pounds per person, per day. While the economic recession has certainly had an impact upon disposal rates, it can also be fairly argued that the state's aggressive recycling programs and private-sector partnerships are beginning to have an effect. But to meet the goals outlined above, continued diligence, planning and funding will be needed. Keep Georgia Beautiful continues to improve the litteritcostsyou.org website featuring community tools, resources, and other useful information to help Revised September 8, 2010 communities, law enforcement, and local officials eradicate litter in Georgia. Additionally, KGB sponsored four local Litter enforcement workshops in June of 2009 that were extremely well received and attended by more than 150 local law enforcement officials. These were held in the KAB communities of Bainbridge, Columbus, Cobb County and Barrow County. The workshops focus on the 2006 Comprehensive Litter Abatement Act and how to incorporate into law enforcement management practices. Georgia had 11 communities that participated in 2008-09 National Cigarette Litter Prevention Program which KGB helped manage by following up on questions and concerns that the CLPP communities encountered. Results from post tests show an average of 20% reduction on cigarette butts in the area targeted for the Prevention campaign. Our statewide litter reduction campaign, the Great American Cleanup occurs during the months of March April and May, 2009. Using many of the tools of the Litter It Costs You campaign, events were logged in all 159 Counties in Georgia for the first time in history! 1421 events were held in 737 communities with a total of 80,494 volunteers improving their communities. More than 1,000 TONS of trash were picked up from roadways, public spaces, waterways, and trails. 903,981 lbs of electronics were recycled. 2,018,336 lbs of Aluminum steel and 2,078,336 lbs of plastic bottles were recycled. 236,720 lbs of clothing were collected for reuse. 511 graffiti sites were removed and 327 illegal dumps were cleaned up. 863 environmental educational and general awareness events were held statewide with 243,013 people in attendance. State-level litter education, eradication and enforcement efforts continued with FY 2008 SWTF dollars in FY 2009; these previous years' funds were used to purchase supplies for the workshops mentioned above. The workshops continued through FY 2009, and will be held in FY 2010 as well. Litter abatement and education, from the state level, will likely continue to consist chiefly of supporting local grass-roots efforts. None are more evident than the efforts of Georgia's network of 77 Keep America Beautiful affiliates. Through their volunteer mobilization efforts and business partnerships, these programs typically return $11 to their communities for every dollar invested. State-level support ensures access to ongoing education, one of the pillars of litter abatement, as well as supplies and coordination assistance. Budget cuts have restricted DCA's role in solid waste management assistance to local governments. DCA's review of solid waste plans, as required by the Act, has been streamlined to accommodate these changes. However, for the reasons outlined above and to implement the Act, the role of sound solid waste management planning cannot be overstated. Georgia has seen two legal cases with major implications for local governments and the quality of life of their citizens hinge on solid waste planning. Careful planning and resource Revised September 8, 2010 stewardship has been proven many times over to be far less expensive than cleanups held after-the-fact. In addition to cost-savings for local governments, many of the policies that provide better stewardship of natural resources also benefit Georgia's economy. Georgia has among the strongest end-use markets for recyclable material in the nation; diverting their feedstocks of paper, plastics, metals, glass and compostable material out of the state's landfills creates far more jobs than continuing to bury them. As DCA has pointed out in recent years, Georgia collectively pays more than $100 million annually to bury materials worth an estimated $250 million to local industry. At the same time, Georgia markets for these materials must pay to import these same feedstocks from across North America; local collection would be far cheaper for them. In many ways, improving and promoting Georgia's recycling and organics collection and processing infrastructure is basic economic development. For example: Georgia's Paper Industry: Recycles almost 8% of all the paper consumed in the United States Includes 16 paper mills using recycled content, 9 relying exclusively on recycled fiber Plastic Beverage Containers (PET) A third of all #1 plastic bottles recycled in N. America get turned into carpet in Georgia Aluminum Recycling Novelis, one of the largest aluminum recyclers in the world, processes used beverage cans in Greensboro GA, with its North American headquarters located in Atlanta This report is available online at www.dca.ga.gov, under Office of Environmental Management programs. Revised September 8, 2010 Disposal and Capacity 2009 Report During Fiscal Year 2009 the amount of waste sent to Georgia landfills decreased, primarily due to decreased disposal attributable to the faltering economy, and perhaps in part to increased recycling efforts. (The possible reasons for this change are explored in the Executive Summary of this report.) Permitted capacity in 2009 is estimated to be approximately 31.5 years of remaining MSW landfill Landfill Quick Facts FY 2009 Private Public MSW space and 31.5 years of remaining permitted C&D landfill space. However, some areas of the state, particularly Northeast Georgia, are quickly running out of disposal capacity. Disposal Landfill Ownership 8.4 million tons 16 facilities 3.6 million tons 47 facilities Where Does the Waste Go? Remaining Capacity Much of the waste disposed of in Georgia enters lined, monitored Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfills. Of the 14,568,173 tons of waste disposed in permitted Years 20 46 Cubic Yards 272 million 234 million Georgia disposal facilities during FY 2009, 11,889,875 tons, or 81.6%, entered lined, monitored landfills meeting federal Subtitle D requirements. 16.3 percent of the waste (2,358,630 tons) entered unlined Construction and Demolition (C&D) landfills. The remainder was disposed in unlined Municipal Solid Waste landfills (159,834 or 1.1%.) C&D Disposal Landfill Ownership 1.9 million tons 20 facilities 0.4 million tons 27 facilities Most of the waste disposed in Georgia enters private landfills. In FY 2009, landfill owners/operators reported 8,413,209 tons of waste entering 16 private MSW landfills, compared with 8,435,506 tons of waste entering 16 private MSW landfills in FY 2008. In FY 2009, 3,636,500 tons of waste entered 47 publicly owned MSW Remaining Capacity Years 55 Cubic Yards 89 million 37 37 million landfills in the state, compared to 4,187,667 tons of waste entering 47 publicly owned MSW landfills the previous year. From FY 1993-2009, the number of MSW landfills operated by cities, counties, and solid waste authorities dropped from 121 to 47; eight of these publicly owned MSW landfills also operate a separate cell within their MSW landfill for C&D materials only. Tons Tons of Waste Disposed FY 2000 - 2009 16,000,000 14,000,000 12,000,000 10,000,000 8,000,000 6,000,000 4,000,000 2,000,000 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Fiscal Year 2006 MSW C&D A - 1 Revised August 6, 2010 2007 2008 2009 Disposal and Capacity 2009 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 2009, landfill operators reported 1,938,137 tons of waste entering 20 private C&D facilities, while 420,493 tons of waste entered 27 publicly owned facilities. Permitted Solid Waste Management Facilities FY 2001-20091 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 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 2,399 708 202 88 92 62 33 5 3 1 2,424 775 230 89 95 60 46 3 3 1 2,354 796 233 99 90 58 51 0 3 1 2,389 872 76 101 93 58 54 1 3 1 2,373 891 76 101 99 55 54 1 3 1 2,437 946 78 96 100 66* 54* 1 3 1 2007 2,455 966 79 96 105 66* 54* 1 5 1 2008 2,424 992 80 583 111 65 54 1 5 1 2009 2,372 1,021 83 58 111 63 55 1 2 0 1. Operating as of July 2009; 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. 3. EPD updated its database of these facilities to verify those still in operation; many had ceased operations. *EPD counts MSW landfills accepting C&D waste in specially-designated cells as C&D landfills. For the purposes of this report, DCA counts them as MSW. There are nine such facilities, for additional details see table beginning A-8 for details. Unlined Landfills During FY 2009, 159,834 Unlined Landfills Accepting MSW tons of waste was disposed FY 2009 in four unlined MSW landfills. County Facility Name Total Avg. Remaining Remaining This represents approximately Tons Daily Capacity Capacity 1.1% of the total waste entering Disposed Tons (CY) (Years) MSW landfills in Georgia. As of Bibb Macon-Walker 107,360 345 2,238,294 10 July 2009, four unlined MSW Road Phase 2 (SL) facilities were still operating Grady Cairo-6th Ave. (SL) 27,784 136 275,294 8 under their original EPDapproved permits, and had not Liberty U.S. Army-Ft. Stewart Main Cantonment (SL) 10,568 39 576,070 26 reached their closure McIntosh McIntosh County- 14,122 * * * capacity. Until they do, they must King Road (SL) adhere to the same operating Total 159,834 520 3,089,658 n/a procedures and methane Average 39,959 173 1,029,886 13.8 monitoring requirements as their *Failed to report capacity data to EPD more modern counterparts. When the unlined facilities close, they will be capped and monitored under federal Subtitle D regulations. There is no time limit for these landfills to meet Subtitle D regulations, but they will not be granted expansion permits. It is likely a small percentage of MSW generated in Georgia will continue to be disposed in unlined landfills for years to come. A - 2 Revised August 6, 2010 Disposal and Capacity 2009 Report Other Disposal Facilities Georgia's only MSW incinerator ceased accepting waste during FY 2008. The Savannah operation had been accepting about 160 tons per day, burning that waste to turn steam turbines generating electricity. 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 that closed its doors in FY 2008 was Cobb County's MSW composting facility. The facility handled about the same amount of MSW as the Savannah Waste-to-Energy plant. Like the Savannah facility, its operational costs were considerably higher than MSW landfills. Transfer stations are not actual disposal facilities, but they can offer significant collection savings and are becoming more common. There are nearly as many transfer stations as there are landfills, and the largest accept more than 1,000 tons of waste daily. Because these facilities are permit-by-rule, they do not have to pay the $1 per-ton (minimum) host fee to local governments that MSW and C&D landfills must, per the Act. Nor do they receive the same regulatory oversight from the Environmental Protection Division that landfills do. Imported Waste The amount of waste brought to Georgia from other states for disposal is more than eight times greater than it was in FY 1998. Waste imports fell slightly from 1,857,687 tons in FY 2008 to 1,678,013 in FY 2009. Most of the waste brought to Georgia from other states is MSW (98%), with the remainder entering C&D landfills. Out-of-state waste amounts to 11.5% of the total amount of waste disposed in Georgia or 13.9% of the waste entering MSW landfills in the state. (See Imported Waste FY 1998-2009) 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 2000 - 2009 2500000 2000000 1500000 Tons 1000000 500000 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Fiscal Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 A - 3 Revised August 6, 2010 Disposal and Capacity 2009 Report Capacity, or the amount of available space in landfills to dispose of tightly compacted waste, fell from 572 million cubic yards in FY 2008 to 506 million cubic yards in FY 2009. Georgia has an estimated 31.5 years of remaining permitted MSW capacity statewide, based upon 2009 disposal rates. A regional breakdown, by Regional 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 constructed landfill space. Reduced disposal due to the economic recession underscores that years remaining capacity is an estimate based on current disposal rates and remaining physical capacity measured in cubic yards at landfills; the amount of time left in landfills is very much a moving target. Just as recession can increase remaining capacity, economic expansion, storms and other debris-generating disasters can rapidly consume landfill space; these factors serve to underscore the need for sound solid waste planning. 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 increased to 54. 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 2009, more than half the state's permitted disposal capacity sits in just five facilities, although there are 117 active permitted landfills in Georgia. This shift in remaining disposal capacity has occurred while smaller or older landfills are closed and enter lengthy post-closure monitoring periods. There are 320 landfills across Georgia in post-closure.. The table entitled `Georgia Landfills with Most Remaining Permitted Disposal Capacity FY 2009' on page A-6 ranks the top five landfills in the state by remaining disposal capacity. Landfill Capacity by Type FY 2000- 2009 700,000,000 600,000,000 500,000,000 Cubic Yards 400,000,000 300,000,000 MSWL SL C&D/L Total 200,000,000 100,000,000 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Fiscal Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 A - 4 Revised August 6, 2010 Disposal and Capacity 2009 Report Remaining MSW Landfill Capacity FY 2009 Legend Less than 10 years 10 - 19 years 20 - 29 years 30 years and above 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 Revised August 6, 2010 Disposal and Capacity 2009 Report Georgia Landfills with Most Remaining Permitted Disposal Capacity FY 2009 County Facility Name Total Tons Domain Facility Remaining Avg. Rate of Remaining Disposed Type Capacity (CY) Daily Fill (CYD) Permitted Capacity FY 2009 Tons (Years) Richmond Richmond Co. - Deans 412,035 Public MSWL Bridge Rd. Phase 3 64,361,642 1,320 1,926 118 Wayne Wayne Co. -- S.R. 23 581,268 Private MSWL Broadhurst 49,969,019 2,083 2,147 81 DeKalb DeKalb Co. - 603,106 Public MSWL Seminole Rd Ph 2a, 3, & 4 (SL) 48,408,715 2,294 2,185 72 Taylor Allied Services, LLC - 403,650 Private MSWL S.R. 90/ S.R. 137 46,371,628 2,000 2,500 66 Cherokee Cherokee Co. - Pine 1,470,095 Private MSWL Bluff Landfill, Inc. 46,281,633 5,200 6,933 23 Total 3,470,015 255,392,637 12,897 15,691 Average 62.6 County Facility Name Cherokee Cherokee Co. - Pine Bluff Landfill, Inc. Butts Butts Co. - Pine Ridge Recycling Charlton Chesser Island Road Landfill, Inc. Forsyth Eagle Point Landfill Banks Chambers R&B Landfill Site #2 Total Georgia Landfills Receiving the Most Waste FY 2009 Total Tons Domain Facility Remaining Avg. Rate of Remaining Disposed Type Capacity (CY) Daily Fill (CYD) Permitted Capacity FY 2009 Tons (Years) 1,470,095 Private MSWL 46,281,633 5,200 6,933 23 1,025,515 Private MSWL 31,514,083 3,557 4,486 25 907,392 Private MSWL 28,341,761 2,458 3,511 28 872,250 Private MSWL 9,852,430 3,220 4.025 8 609,389 Private MSWL 16,752,410 2,270 3,027 19 4,884,641 132,742,317 16,705 17,961 Average 28.4 A - 6 Revised August 6, 2010 Disposal and Capacity 2009 Report Regional Development Center Atlanta Regional Commission Central Savannah River Area Three Rivers Coastal Georgia Northwest Georgia Georgia Mountains Heart of Georgia-Altamaha River Valley Middle Georgia Northeast Georgia Southern Georgia Southwest Georgia Statewide C&D Total Disposal Capacity by RDC Construction and Demolition Waste Landfills FY 2009 Total Tons Remaining Permitted Capacity Remaining Permitted Capacity Disposed (Cubic Yards) (Years) 1,524,243 61,582 47,066 74,585 65,914 319,778 47,248 30,816 70,415 195,243 36,347 86,128 34,659,710 3,895,759 1,281,751 26,428,712 4,999,476 14,946,333 2,812,194 519,717 3,291,222 24,923,170 1,459,463 12,822,208 16.7 47.4 18.1 229.5 45.2 23.5 29.4 12.1 46.7 40.0 20.7 62.3 2,559,365 132,039,715 Average 31.5 Regional Development Center Atlanta Regional Commission Central Savannah River Area Three Rivers Coastal Georgia Northwest Georgia Georgia Mountains Heart of Georgia-Altamaha River Valley Middle Georgia Northeast Georgia Southern Georgia Southwest Georgia Statewide MSW Total Disposal Capacity by RDC Municipal Solid Waste Landfills FY 2009 Total Tons Remaining Permitted Capacity Remaining Permitted Capacity Disposed (Cubic Yards) (Years) 2,776,774 108,594,532 31.6 431,549 66,937,054 120.0 1,219,450 40,842,271 28.7 634,164 22,338,806 22.1 936,781 40,408,359 28.5 1,457,483 51,938,587 28.3 665,418 53,961,855 74.5 512,523 58,997,365 63.3 642,995 18,317,137 13.6 597,829 3,899,647 5.2 1,526,135 30,174,129 12.2 269,971 19,842,294 39.4 11,671,072 516,252,036 Average 31.5 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 Revised August 6, 2010 Disposal and Capacity 2009 Report County Facility Name Atlanta Regional Commission C&D Cherokee Cherokee Construction And Demolition Landfill Cherokee Cherokee Co.-Swims-SR 92 Ph 5 Clayton Stephens MDS, LP, C&D 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 Jefferson Jefferson Co. - CR138 Richmond Richmond Co. - Deans Bridge Rd. Washington Washington Co. - Kaolin Rd. Three Rivers C&D Coweta Coweta Co. - Ishman Ballard Rd. Landfill Troup Troup Co. - S.R. 109 Mountville Spalding Spalding Co. - Griffin/Shoal Creek Rd. (Phase 2) MSW Troup LaGrange - I 85/ S.R. 109 Butts Butts Co. - Pine Ridge Recycling Lamar Lamar Co. - Cedar Grove Regional Coastal Georgia C&D Camden Camden Co. - S.R. 110 C/D/I Landfill Glynn Eller - Whitlock Ave Liberty U. S. Army Ft. Stewart Main Cantonment Total Tons Domain Facility Disposed FY Type 2009 Remaining Capacity (CY) Average Daily Tons Rate of Fill (CYD) Remaining Permitted Capacity (Years) 66,849 Private C&D 24,187 Private C&D 85,742 61 132,285 199,452 51,667 Private Private Private Private Public C&D C&D C&D C&D C&D 20,275 Public C&D 407,046 Private C&D 206,591 Private 330,088 Private C&D C&D 1,470,095 Private MSWL 49,472 Public MSWL 603,106 Public MSWL 60,004 1,861 592,236 Private Private Private MSWL MSWL MSWL 2,557,390 75,750 13,860,422 109,347 450,000 486,456 88,459 532,697 1,278,406 2,088,917 13,131,866 46,281,633 2,803,950 48,408,715 122,351 10,977,883 400 79 274 n/a 508 600 181 72 1,536 780 1400 5,200 160 2,294 521 2,519 571 16 158 2 305 159 n/a n/a 462 3 706 2 156 2 145 12 2104 2 1200 6 2154 21 6,933 23 320 28 2,185 72 448 1 Facility is in closure 3,319 12 21,842 32,171 3,079 1,209 800 Public Private Public Public Public C&D C&D C&D C&D MSWL 12,625 2,855,750 882,682 88,984 55,718 15 62 6 104 155 60 12 21 160 26 52 10 16 26 9 17,833 Public MSWL 1,311,663 57 114 37 50,905 Public MSWL 64,361,663 1,320 1,926 118 1,681 Public MSWL 1,263,728 38 105 49 3,401 10,296 33,369 Public Public Public C&D C&D C&D 129,088 1025,515 64,847 Public Private Public MSWL MSWL MSWL 216,296 144,801 920,654 3,408,930 31,514,083 5,919,258 26 11 28 34 69 7 122 176 18 405 555 20 4,486 25 3,557 431 49 250 69,206 3,281 2,098 Public Private Public C&D C&D C&D A - 8 Revised August 6, 2010 26,305,557 * 123,155 297 432 195 * * * 5 11 40 Disposal and Capacity 2009 Report County Facility Name MSW Camden Chatham Chatham Liberty McIntosh Camden Co. - S.R. 110 Savannah - Dean Forest Rd. Superior Landfill & Recycling Center U. S. Army Ft. Stewart Main Cantonment McIntosh Co. - King Rd. Northwest Georgia C&D Bartow Bartow Co. - S.R. 294 Emerson Floyd Floyd Co. - Rome Walker Mtn. Rd. Paulding Paulding Co. - Gulledge Rd. Pickens K&M Walker Walker Co. - Marble Top Rd. Walker LaFayette-Coffman Springs Rd. MSW Bartow Bartow Co. - S.R. 294 Emerson Floyd Rome Walker Mtn. Rd., Gordon Gordon Co. - Redbone Ridge Rd. Murray Murray Co. - U.S. 411 Westside Whitfield Whitfield Co. - Dalton, Old Dixie Hwy. Polk Polk Co. - Grady Rd. Georgia Mountains C&D Forsyth Eagle Point Landfill Forsyth Greenleaf Recycling, LLC Franklin Earth Resources LLC Hall Reliable Tire Service Habersham Habersham Co. - S.R.13 Rabun Rabun Co. -- Boggs Mountain Stephens Stephens Co.-S.R. 145 MSW Banks Chambers R&B Landfill Site #2 Forsyth Eagle Point Landfill Habersham Habersham Co. - S.R.13 Hall Hall Co.-Candler Rd. (S.R. 60) Heart of Georgia-Altamaha C&D Appling Appling Co.-Roaring Creek Evans Evans Co. -- Little Bull Creek C&D 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 River Valley C&D Muscogee Columbus, Pine Grove Macon Macon Co. - Middle Georgia SWMA Regional MSWL MSW Total Tons Domain Facility Disposed FY Type 2009 56,025 149,403 404,046 10,568 14,122 Public Public Private MSWL MSWL MSWL Public Public Unlined MSWL Unlined MSWL Remaining Capacity (CY) 2,892,460 14,882,460 1,482,749 2,505,067 576,070 Average Daily Tons Rate of Fill (CYD) Remaining Permitted Capacity (Years) 184 370 25 719 1,438 3 1,452 1,994 4 39 79 26 * * * 46 18,721 181 33,923 10,996 2,047 Public Public Public Private Public Public C&D C&D C&D C&D C&D C&D 11,000 260,841 29,529 4,179,283 428,891 89,932 0 0 117 46 48 n/a 1 2 9 122 271 54 44 88 19 8 16 22 75,602 Public MSWL 969,000 274 415 8 80,034 Public MSWL 4,837,061 305 610 26 228,128 Public MSWL 12,636,941 881 1,493 31 85,097 Public MSWL 12,684,292 389 556 84 142,764 Public MSWL 7,883,858 444 658 39 325,156 Public MSWL 1,397,207 1,160 1,731 3 118,170 53,974 25,211 110,652 7,161 3,625 985 Private Private Private Private Public Public Public MSWL C&D C&D C&D MSWL C&D C&D 2,844,396 785,950 9,151,371 1,989,726 126,293 20,847 27,750 672 1,222 8 175 350 7 88 147 217 405 623 11 22 58 8 14 39 19 5 10 11 609,389 Private MSWL 16,752,410 2,270 3027 19 754,080 Private MSWL 28,341,761 2,458 3,511 28 24,992 Public MSWL 1,311,663 57 114 37 69,022 Public MSWL 5,532,753 210 420 42 3,552 Public C&D 10,289 22,460 10,947 Private Public Public C&D MSWL C&D * 2,416,525 227,773 168,896 * * * 36 88 101 69 130 6 75 150 4 8,725 Public MSWL 329,474 34 52 24 22,460 Public MSWL 1,826,265 94 146 44 10,738 Public MSWL 429,826 70 140 11 37,512 Public MSWL 1,407,271 280 300 170 581,268 Private MSWL 49,969,019 2,083 2,147 81 5,534 25,282 Public Public MSWL C&D A - 9 Revised August 6, 2010 191,311 328406 17 59 13 48 106 12 Disposal and Capacity 2009 Report County Facility Name Muscogee Columbus, Pine Grove Crisp Crisp Co. - U.S. 41S Taylor Veolia E.S. Taylor Co. Landfill Middle Georgia C&D Bibb Swift Creek Landfill Houston Houston Co. - S.R.247 Klondike MSW Bibb Macon - Walker Rd. Bibb Houston Monroe Twiggs Swift Creek MSW Landfill Houston Co. - S.R. 247 Klondike Monroe Co. - Strickland Loop Rd. Wolf Creek Landfill Northeast Georgia C&D Newton Newton Co. - Forest Tower/Lower River Rd. Oglethorpe Olgethorpe Co. - U.S. 78 Phase 2 Walton Republic U.S. 78 C&D Landfill Walton Walton C&D Walton Caruthers Mill C&D MSW Barrow Republic Waste - Oak Grove S.R. 324 Clarke Clarke Co. - Athens Dunlap Rd. Newton Newton Co. - Lower River Rd. Southern Georgia C&D Atkinson Atkinson Co.-S.R. 50 Ben Hill Fitzgerald, Kiochee Church Rd. Ph. 2 Coffee Transwaste Services, Inc. C.R. 129/17 Cook Cook Co. - Taylor Rd. Adel MSW Atkinson Atkinson Co.-S.R. 50 Ben Hill Fitzgerald, Kiochee Church Rd. Ph. 2 Charlton Chesser Island Road Landfill, Inc. Cook Cook Co. - Taylor Rd. Lowndes Veolia E.S. Pecan Row Lowndes Veolia E.S. Evergreen MSWL Tift Tifton-Omega/Eldorado Rd. Southwest Georgia C&D Dougherty Dougherty Co.- Fleming/Gaissert Rd. Dougherty Maple Hill LF3 Thomas Thomasville/Sunset Dr. MSW Decatur U.S. Hwy. 27 MSWL Dougherty Dougherty Co. - Fleming/Gaissert Rd. Grady Cairo-Sixth Ave Total Tons Domain Facility Disposed FY Type 2009 86,195 39,604 403,650 Public Public Private MSWL MSWL MSWL Remaining Capacity (CY) 4,704,564 7,921,073 46,371,628 Average Daily Tons 349 136 2,000 Rate of Fill (CYD) 802 283 2,500 Remaining Permitted Capacity (Years) 24 101 66 23,967 46,448 Private Public C&D C&D 358,761 2,932,461 12 21 64 150 250 38 107,360 Public Unlined MSWL 2,238,294 345 690 10 17,989 Private MSWL 829,098 827 1,141 3 148,411 Public MSWL 3,256,987 479 1064 10 21,472 Public MSWL 2,126,726 86 164 49 347,763 Public MSWL 9,866,032 1,320 2,112 16 * 19,379 54,341 73,739 47,784 Public Public Private Private Private C&D C&D C&D C&D C&D * 599,882 13,438,536 2,245,550 8,639,202 * * * 62 124 16 225 331 156 263 527 15 850 1,417 21 442,445 Private MSWL 1,063,009 1,620 1,916 2 76,351 Public MSWL 1,163,411 255 548 7 79,033 Public MSWL 1,673,227 261 402 14 29,295 1,302 31 5,719 Public Public Private Public MSWL MSWL C&D C&D 803,203 75,255 574,281 6,724 90 142 22 4 8 39 40 80 53 21 41 1 47,535 Public MSWL 3,221,218 202 286 44 452 Public MSWL 631,176 2 3 n/a 907,392 Private MSWL 9,852,430 3,220 4,025 8 7,961 Public MSWL 517,975 29 57 32 515,371 Private MSWL 1,045,304 2,126 2,362 2 28 Private MSWL 14,303,642 2,000 2,500 20 47,396 Public MSWL 602,384 180 245 9 15,624 Public MSWL 26,762 Private 43,742 Public C&D C&D 125,984 Public 91,321 Public MSWL MSWL 27,784 Public Unlined MSW Landfill A - 10 Revised August 6, 2010 1,820,382 10,390,445 611,381 1,015,192 7,634,192 275,252 48 174 34 115 230 180 225 388 6 437 643 6 301 568 44 68 136 8 Disposal and Capacity 2009 Report County Facility Name Thomas Thomasville/Sunset Dr. Total Tons Domain Facility Disposed FY Type 2009 24,882 Public MSWL Remaining Capacity (CY) 10,917,658 Average Daily Tons 361 Rate of Fill (CYD) 592 Remaining Permitted Capacity (Years) 67 A - 11 Revised August 6, 2010 Per Capita Disposal 2009 Solid Waste Management Update Georgia's waste reduction efforts, combined with the economic downturn has resulted in a marked lowering of Georgia's per-capita MSW disposal rates. As more Municipal Solid Waste landfills create special sections of their facilities to accept only C&D waste, they divert that waste stream from their MSW cells, thereby lowering the overall per-capita MSW disposal rates. When excluding out-of-state waste imports, the amount of waste entering Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills fell to 5.87 lbs/person/day in FY 2009, the lowest in a decade. Since FY 1998, the per capita municipal solid waste disposal rate had grown from 6.44 lbs/person/day to about 7.5 lbs/person/day in FY 2007. But in FY 2009, Georgia's MSW landfills received 7.26 pounds of waste daily for each resident. Looking at records that exclude the amount of waste disposed from out-of-state sources, the per capita MSW disposal rate has been even lower, climbing from 6.24 lbs/person/day in FY 1998 to 6.46 lbs/person/day in FY 2007 before falling to 5.87 lbs/person/day in FY 2009. As shown in the Per Capita Daily Waste Disposal graph, there is more than one way to track per-capita disposal rates. In FY 2009, 14,408,339 tons of waste entered Construction/Demolition and MSW landfills in the Georgia. When looking at the reported total amount of waste disposed, the per capita waste disposal rate fell to 8.28 lbs/person/day in FY 2009, down from a decade-high of 10.17 lbs/person/day in FY 2007. This figure represents all waste entering MSW and C&D landfills, including out-of-state sources. 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, nor does it include yard trimmings and land-clearing debris sent to inert landfills.. Per-Capita Daily Waste Disposal 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 Total Waste 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 MSW Georgia MSW C&D 2009 B-1 Revised March 5, 2010 Per Capita Disposal 2009 Update Looking at the disposal rate at MSW landfills only, including waste disposed from out-of-state sources, the per capita disposal rate has hovered at about 7.5 pounds per person per day in recent years before dropping in FY 2008. 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 2009 per capita MSW disposal rate, excluding waste imported into the state, is approximately 3.89 lbs/person/day. Imported waste has grown ten-fold, from representing 0.1/lb/person/day in 1998 (less than 200,000 tons) to 0.95 lbs/person/day in FY 2009 (nearly 1.7 million tons.) The economic recession is undoubtedly behind some of the decreasing per-capita waste reductions outlined in this report. However, it is heartening that despite plunging commodity prices for recyclable materials, DCA has seen only a handful of local government collection programs discontinued. In fact, programs have been added, existing programs have expanded the types of material collected, and interest in conservation issues among the public has seemingly continued to rise. While difficult to quantify, it is difficult to imagine that the recycling and waste reduction efforts of so many communities has not contributed to the decline in Georgia's per-capita waste disposal rate. In fact, the drop in Georgia's per-capita disposal rate occurred at the same time as single-stream recyclables collection began in many communities. With only partial reporting in calendar year 2009 the Material Recovery Facilities handling collected recyclables reported processing and marketing 175,327 tons of material (that removes as much emissions from the air as burning nearly 50 million gallons of gasoline.) Much of this material will be used in Georgia-based manufacturing operations such as paper and carpet mills or glass and metal smelting operations. Fiscal Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Population 8,015,626 Georgia Waste Disposal Rate and Population FY 2000-2009 Total Waste Total Waste Total Waste Landfilled Landfilled Disposed in (Millions of tons) (Pounds/ MSW Landfills person/day) (Tons) 12.71 8.69 9,724,736 Out of State Waste (Tons) 511,472 Total MSW (Pounds/ person/day) 6.65 8,186,453 13.36 8.94 10,678,980 893,651 7.15 8,383,915 13.04 8.52 10,233,692 950,779 6.68 8,544,005 14.25 9.14 11,135,473 1,197,686 7.14 8,684,715 15.77 9.95 11,916,124 1,633,182 7.52 8,918,129 16.46 9.85 12,155,598 1,627,044 7.47 9,132,553 16.66 9.77 12,531,898 1,889,312 7.52 9,363,941 17.39 10.17 12,746,159 1,942,647 7.45 9,523,297 16.27 9.49 12,623,173 1,857,687 7.26 9,685,744 14.64 8.28 12,049,709 1,678,013 6.82 GA MSW (Pounds/ person/day) 6.30 6.55 6.05 6.38 6.50 6.52 6.48 6.46 6.19 5.87 B-2 Solid Waste & Recycling Collection 2009 Solid Waste Management Update Waste Collection This update will focus on the level and type of solid waste collection, processing and recycling methods available throughout the State. How these services are provided, or even if, depends greatly 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 acquire an over-all "annual snapshot" of solid waste and recycling activities in the State. Before applying any analysis to this data it should be noted that annual response rates vary greatly and may contribute to the variations in trends. In the table entitled Residential Waste & Recyclables Collection the changing role of local governments as solid waste collection service providers is highlighted. One trend appears to be the decreasing availability of recycling services. In FY 2006 66% of local governments who provided or arranged for residential waste collection for their residents, also made recycling services available, in FY 2009 this number fell slightly to 65%. However, collections for individual commodities has dropped off significantly; see the tables on page C-3 for details. Local governments can partner with the private sector to manage the waste generated within their communities by using permits, ordinances, franchise agreements, and/or contracts. 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 stream, with the local government setting forth specific performance measures and standards to be met by both parties. The number of local governments reporting they use ordinances fell Private/Public Partnerships for Residential Waste Collection slightly (373 in FY 2007 to 362 in FY 2009). This drop is likely due to slightly reduced reporting for FY 2009. Percentage-wise, ordinance use has hovered in the mid-50% range for several years. Private collection does not exist Issue permit or license Local ordinance FY 2007 - 2009 2007 2008 City County City County 199 58 199 58 68 41 69 41 278 95 279 95 2009 City County 181 60 68 37 272 90 Franchise agreement 149 42 150 42 141 40 As can be seen in the Residential Governments contract 274 64 275 64 263 64 Waste and Recyclables Collection Open competition -- no local 151 74 151 74 153 72 table (C-1), the types of residential government oversight solid waste collection services range from "green box" or Dumpster drop-off service to curbside or backdoor pick-up. One trend DCA has Yard Trimmings Management FY 2007 - 2009 been tracking for several years is the use of 2007 2008 2009 Dumpsters. They are often placed in unsupervised City County City County City County areas, usually in rural communities, for trash Promote home 22 29 28 21 26 29 collection and frequently become dumping grounds composting for everything from household trash to disabled vehicles, tires, and animal carcasses. They can Provide for collection 326 56 304 45 304 45 and disposal Collection Options become an eyesore in a community and attract Staffed drop-off 21 28 12 31 14 27 waste from neighboring jurisdictions. In 1994, 74 facilities cities and 99 counties reported using them for residential waste collection. In FY 2009, just 21 cities and 21 counties reported using green boxes. This steady decline is direct evidence of improving waste management in the state. Unstaffed drop-off 10 3 10 3 6 2 facilities Curbside collection 302 21 295 17 297 21 Accepted at 23 31 15 24 11 20 landfill/transfer station C - 1 Revised August 6, 2010 Solid Waste & Recycling Collection 2009 Update Recyclables Collection During FY 2009, 385 local governments reported they provided or arranged for residential recycling services in their communities. As can be seen in the Residential Recycling Services Providers graph, the strong tradition of public, private, and non-profit partnerships used to provide recycling services throughout Georgia continues, however it appears that the public sector maybe taking a stronger role in providing collection services. Residential Recycling Service Providers 450 FY 2006 - 2009 400 350 300 250 200 150 The number of local governments whose 100 residents have access to recycling services has dropped off after making steady gains 50 through the 2000s. The recycling industry is not 0 immune from the economic recession, and commodity prices dropped in the fall of 2008 as global demand slumped. Some local governments, having grown accustomed to the revenue their recycling programs brought, cut collections. Since the public sector recovery will likely lag behind the private sector, Georgia 2006 2007 2008 2009 Governments with recycling services available to residents Provided by public sector Provided by private vendor will once again see our strong end-use markets clamoring for more material from a supply chain disrupted at the local level. As shown in the Number of Jurisdictions Collecting Materials for Recycling tables on page C-4, there has been a steady increase in the number of local governments making residential recycling services available in their jurisdictions. Nationally and regionally, market prices for recycled materials have risen steadily. Over the past year we have seen a stabilization of the price for recycled materials. This price stabilization along with local residents demand has prompted local governments to add recycling services and to increase the number of materials they accept in their program. 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. During FY 2008, the most popular commodities recycled from residences were newspaper (307 jurisdictions reporting collection); aluminum (310); and PET (# plastic, 244.) It should be noted that there was a decrease in the number of jurisdictions collecting these materials. We will continue to monitor this decrease. The tables on page C-4 tally the number of local governments collecting commercial and residential materials for recycling. Processing of Residential Recyclables FY 2007 - 2009 2007 2008 2009 City County City County City County Source-separated 77 92 74 71 72 65 Commingled 31 13 78 21 86 27 Both 9 8 23 20 23 17 C - 2 Revised August 6, 2010 Solid Waste & Recycling Collection 2009 Update Recyclables Processing In FY 2009 137 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. The chart below labeled `Processing of Residential Recyclables' reflects Georgia's shift toward single-stream processing. While source-separated processing fell from 169 local governments in 2007 to 137 in 2009, single-stream processing rose from 44 to 113 local governments. Use of Solid Waste Transfer Stations FY 2006 - 2009 City County 2006 157 72 2007 157 77 2008 106 82 2009 108 84 Georgia continues to have adequate collection and processing capacity for recyclable material; the demand for more material remains constant. Transfer Stations With fewer, more regional-sized landfills in the state and a wide array of solid waste collection programs, solid waste 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 conventional rear-loader garbage truck loads into a single tractortrailer for the trip to the landfill saves fuel costs, vehicle wear and tear, and means fewer trucks can service more customers. Only 70 counties reported that they or their contractors used transfer stations for the collection or disposal of residential waste in FY 2005. By FY 2009, 84 counties and 108 cities or their contractors were using transfer stations to manage residential waste. Number of Jurisdictions Collecting Commercial Materials for Recycling by Type FY 2006 - 2009 2006 2007 2008 2009 Automobile components tires 54 47 31 24 auto batteries 38 13 26 23 motor oil 36 14 24 24 Metals aluminum 196 187 74 83 scrap metal 94 94 49 52 Paper newspaper 254 252 69 83 magazines 84 67 48 75 corrugated cardboard 177 174 83 88 white paper 66 66 * * phone books 71 71 60 69 other paper Misc. 50 31 35 54 plastic 181 162 * * glass 57 47 56 54 Number of Jurisdictions Collecting Residential Materials for Recycling by Type FY 2006 - 2009 2006 2007 2008 2009 Automobile components tires 142 127 224 108 auto batteries 100 88 167 81 antifreeze 21 24 78 23 motor oil 95 100 187 79 oil filters 28 25 75 29 Metals aluminum 452 463 448 310 steel cans 226 228 289 160 scrap metal 208 204 294 173 aerosol cans 39 35 101 39 Paper newspaper 509 507 492 307 magazines 378 381 430 266 corrugated cardboard 368 386 431 254 phone books 322 324 415 233 paper board 72 105 293 148 other paper 236 253 339 200 Misc. #1 plastic 360 363 378 244 #2 plastic 311 324 348 214 other plastic 69 72 238 99 glass 303 311 361 199 white goods 225 222 324 192 Christmas trees 262 254 363 206 C&D materials 48 45 0 37 agricultural chemical containers 10 8 37 12 electronics 76 102 221 119 Household Hazardous Waste paint 29 27 93 44 cleaning products 2 0 44 17 pesticides 4 4 19 8 other 12 6 65 29 C - 3 Revised August 6, 2010 Solid Waste & Recycling Collection 2009 Update Yard Trimmings Georgia banned yard trimmings from lined Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills in 1996, as part of an effort to extend landfill disposal capacity. Effective September 1st 1996, each city, county and solid waste management authority was required to Yard Trimmings Management FY 2007 - 2009 2007 2008 2009 impose restrictions on yard trimmings generated in City County City County City County or disposed within their jurisdiction. The restrictions required that yard trimmings: Promote Home Composting and Beneficial Reuse 22 29 28 21 26 29 Not be placed in or mixed with municipal solid Provide for collection 326 56 304 45 304 45 and disposal waste; Collection Be sorted and stored for collection to facilitate composting or other handling; Not available 189 96 203 98 193 100 Your government 245 8 254 36 252 30 Another government 12 9 4 0 6 0 To the maximum extent feasible be sorted, stockpiled or chipped for composting or used as a mulch or for other beneficial purposes; and Solid Waste 7 8 1 1 0 2 Authority Private vendor via 8 17 8 0 8 0 individual subscription Be banned from disposal at MSW disposal Private vendor via 36 9 35 5 35 6 government contract facilities having liners and leachate collection Collection Options systems. The number of local governments providing for the collection and disposal of yard trimmings increased from 291 in FY 2006 to 349 in FY 2009. The number providing the service themselves has increased from 253 in FY 2006 to 291 in FY 2009. 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. Annually, DCA surveys local governments to Staffed drop-off 20 29 12 31 14 27 facilities Unstaffed drop-off 10 3 10 3 6 2 facilities Curbside collection 277 22 295 17 297 12 Accepted at 23 54 15 24 11 12 landfill/transfer station Other 20 29 12 31 18 33 Processing Methods Composting 35 9 9 1 10 1 Solid waste landfill 42 5 40 1 35 2 Inert landfill 104 30 63 16 64 11 Grind/chip into 158 30 99 12 91 14 mulch Burning 26 0 21 0 25 0 Other 0 0 10 1 6 1 determine how they collect, process and use yard trimmings generated within their Give away Sell 159 16 73 0 72 0 11 3 2 0 5 0 communities. During FY 2009, 26 cities and 29 Used by local 48 17 7 0 4 0 counties reported actively promoting waste government minimization practices such as home composting Becomes property of 39 private contractor 21 15 0 15 17 or beneficial reuse of yard trimmings. During FY 2009, 304 cities and 45 counties reported collecting yard trimmings for diversion from MSW landfills. It is not surprising, given lot sizes and population densities, that cities lead the way in providing yard trimmings collection services. Most local governments also reported that they provided the collection services with just a few indicating they contracted with a private vendor to collect yard trimmings. In many areas, especially urban and suburban communities, the visible result of the yard trimmings ban has been the 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 75 local governments reported disposing the collected materials into an inert landfill. Twenty-five cities report burning yard trimmings. Composting and chip into mulch 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 - 4 Revised August 6, 2010 MSW and C&D Landfill Tipping Fees 2009 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 high volume of waste sent to Georgia for disposal from other states 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 increased from $34.92 in 2008 to $35.97 in 2009. (see insert next page) 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 post high gate rates in an effort to dissuade customers with small loads. Regionally, most parts of the state saw slight increases in tipping fees, but in Coastal Georgia, the weighted average jumped five dollars per ton to $52.23, by far the most expensive in the state. The City of Savannah's use of a waste-to-energy incinerator had been a large driver for the region's high disposal costs, and the closure of that facility was expected to reduce tipping fees at competing landfills, but that has not occurred. DCA also tracks tipping fees for Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste. C&D tipping fees fell from a statewide weighted average of $23.72 to $21.46 per ton. 2009 Landfill Tipping Fees MSW C&D Legend Data Not Available $14.00- $20.00 $20.01 - $25.00 $25.01 - $30.00 $30.01 - $35.00 $35.01 - $40.00 D-1 Revised April 7, 2010 MSW and C&D Landfill Tipping Fees 2009 Update Region Northwest Georgia* North Georgia Coosa Valley Georgia Mountains Atlanta Regional Commission Three Rivers* Chattahoochee Flint McIntosh Trail Northeast Georgia Middle Georgia Central Savannah River Area River Valley* Lower Chattahoochee Middle Flint Heart of Georgia-Altamaha Southwest Georgia Southern Georgia* South Georgia Southeast Georgia Coastal Georgia State of Georgia 2009 Average MSW Tipping Fee $33.28 $31.49 $33.82 $39.02 $37.36 $33.52 $30.00 $33.41 $37.75 $27.21 $33.48 $34.84 $27.50 $35.81 $30.19 $30.25 $39.13 $42.70 $40.10 $52.23 $35.97 2008 Average MSW Tipping Fee $32.21 $31.57 $32.50 $37.51 $36.80 $31.83 $30.00 $32.01 $36.76 $29.64 $33.44 $34.95 $27.50 $35.83 $30.22 $25.62 $35.48 $41.89 $30.51 $47.28 $34.92 2007 Average MSW Tipping Fee $32.26 $31.65 $32.57 $37.20 $38.26 $31.95 $30.00 $32.17 $36.69 $27.88 $33.50 $35.37 $27.50 $37.58 $30.16 $24.99 $35.08 $39.04 $30.49 $47.13 $35.08 *These Regional Commissions were formed by the 2008 restructuring of the Regional Planning Commissions. Several merged; as a result these tables include both structures to provide continuity of reporting. It is interesting to note however that this increasing trend is not consistent throughout the state. The average MSW tipping fee actually decreased in the ARC by $0.90/ton from 2007, and increased by $5.26/ton in the Southwest Region. Region Northwest Georgia* North Georgia Coosa Valley Georgia Mountains Atlanta Regional Commission Three Rivers* Chattahoochee Flint McIntosh Trail Northeast Georgia Middle Georgia Central Savannah River Area River Valley* Lower Chattahoochee Middle Flint Heart of Georgia-Altamaha Southwest Georgia Southern Georgia* South Georgia Southeast Georgia Coastal Georgia State of Georgia 2009 Average C&D Tipping Fee $24.98 $28.03 $33.82 $33.97 $20.18 $33.52 $30.00 $30.22 $25.19 20.35 $31.51 $23.26 $25.50 $22.50 $27.28 $22.83 $35.32 $33.34 $31.23 $16.84 $21.46 2008 Average C&D Tipping Fee $23.28 $25.75 $32.50 $32.29 $18.07 $31.83 $30.00 $29.58 $24.74 $16.26 $30.56 $23.45 $25.50 $22.50 $26.50 $19.73 $37.69 $39.50 $22.00 $30.38 $23.72 2007 Average C&D Tipping Fee $19.23 n/a $32.57 $27.28 $22.42 $31.95 $30.00 $26.55 $23.37 $15.50 $30.54 $24.23 $25.50 $22.50 $25.36 n/a $22.00 n/a $22.00 $21.63 $21.11 Looking at C&D rates can reveal some puzzling findings. Coastal Georgia has had the highest MSW tipping fees for years, but since 2008 the C&D rate dropped to the lowest in the state. D - 2 Revised April 7, 2010 MSW and C&D Landfill Tipping Fees 2009 Update MSW 2008 Landfill Tipping Fees Legend $24.00 - $30.00 $30.01 - $35.00 $35.01 - $40.00 $40.01 - $45.00 $45.01 - $50.00 C&D Legend Data Not Available $14.00- $20.00 $20.01 - $25.00 $25.01 - $30.00 $30.01 - $35.00 $35.01 - $40.00 MSW 2007 Landfill Tipping Fees C&D Legend $24.00 - $30.00 $30.01 - $35.00 $35.01 - $40.00 $40.01 - $45.00 $45.01 - $50.00 Legend Data Not Available $14.00- $20.00 $20.01 - $25.00 $25.01 - $30.00 $30.01 - $35.00 $35.01 - $40.00 D - 3 Revised April 7, 2010 Grants and Loans to Local Governments 2009 Solid Waste Management Update During Fiscal Year 2009, $89,509.12 in Solid Waste Trust Funds were awarded to three Georgia counties to clean up scrap tire piles. No other grants or loans were made to local governments from the Fund. Historically the SWTF has usually been used for this purpose, but has always required annual appropriation from the Legislature. When state revenues shrink, portions of the fund have been diverted to the general fund. This occurred in FY 2004 and FY 2005, and again in FY 2009. 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 Enforcement and Education Grant 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 Enforcement and Education grant 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 a Local Environmental Compliance Program 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 Environmental Compliance Program, and the availability of funds. Grant information and application material for the Local Government Enforcement and Education 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. In 2009, the Scrap Tire program reimbursed a total of $89,509.12 to three local governments. The breakdown by county is as follows: Gordon county $10,220.00 Richmond County $74,919.12 Chattooga County $4,370.00. E-1 Revised July 31, 2009 Grants and Loans to Local Governments 2009 Update Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) GEFA annually administers a program historically 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 have been 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. GEFA disbursed zero dollars in Recycling and Waste Reduction Grants in FY 2009. Contact GEFA at 404-584-1000 or visit www.gefa.org for more information about their Recycling and Waste Reduction grant program. Another financial support program offered by GEFA is their low interest revolving loan program available to local governments. No loans were awarded in FY 2009, though GEFA continues to administer loans from previous years. Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) During FY 2009, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs Office of Environmental Management continued to support two (2) recycling infrastructure grants, the Away-from-Home Recycling Grant and the Regional Recycling Hub Grant programs, both of which were supported by Solid Waste Trust Fund dollars. DCA awarded $2,567,518 in FY 2008 to fund these recycling infrastructure grant programs. No additional FY 2009 SWTF dollars were allocated to these efforts. Away-from-Home Recycling The Away-From-Home Recycling grant included $350,000 dollars from the SWTF, a program partner contribution $40,000 Curbside Value Partnership (CVP), and $25,000 in corporate donations from Coca Cola for a total program value of $415,000. The program funded grant projects in 29 communities across the State. Strategy Part of instilling a recycling ethic is to provide easy and convenient recycling opportunities both at home and away from home. Georgia is host to many major tourism events which draw large crowds from across the country. From recreational opportunities at our state parks or along our coast, to sporting events, to conferences or community festivals, recycling and litter prevention need to be an integral part of these events. Local governments needed access to specialized containers to collect recyclable materials at special events. The Away-from-Home Recycling program was implemented to establish this recycling ethic through education and promotion. Display of the recycling trailers and use of the ClearStream containers at special events positions grantees to more easily promote litter free events, which exposes over 4.5 million Georgians and E-2 Revised Sept. 8, 2010 Grants and Loans to Local Governments 2009 Update visitors to the state to an image of Georgia pride and conservationism. The program facilitates a behavioral change in special event attendees, enabling them to establish a life-long commitment to recycling by making recycling a habit. Implementation SWTF dollars allocated to the Away-from-Home grant were used to purchase 35 reusable special event recycling containers and trailers to store and haul the containers, with a retail value of approximately $15,000 per trailer. Each trailer supported a "turn-key" recycling collection infrastructure for special event recycling, which makes recycling at special events easy. This bold initiative for Georgia was the first comprehensive special event recycling collection infrastructure effort in the nation. DCA's Away-from-Home Recycling Grant program is nationally recognized as a model for implementing special event recycling. Under the Away-from-Home grant program, local governments offer use of the trailers to event organizers in their community. The grant contract requires awardees to pledge to maintain recycling at future events and to incorporate the state recycling brand into their special event recycling efforts. Grantees are also required to submit an annual report indicating the volume of materials recycled and the number of events that used the containers. Results The bold "Recycle 4 Georgia" image draws attention to recycling at special events and appeals to the general audience. From implementation through FY 2009, the Away-from-Home Recycling program exposed special event recycling to a reported 4.3 million attendees. Local government grant awardees reported collection of 83.5 tons of recyclables during the first nine months of the program's introduction. The trailers and containers were used at 914 events 436 of which were events where recycling was offered for the first time. A list of communities awarded the Away-from-Home Recycling grant in 2008 is included in the table on the following page and shown in the Infrastructure map. E-3 Revised Sept. 8, 2010 Grants and Loans to Local Governments 2009 Update Away-from-Home Recycling Grants FY 2008 Community Estimated Retail Value Albany-Dougherty County $15,000.00 Athens-Clarke County $45,000.00 Bulloch County $30,000.00 Columbia County $15,000.00 Dalton-Whitfield County $30,000.00 Decatur County $15,000.00 DeKalb County $30,000.00 Forsyth County $15,000.00 Glynn County $15,000.00 Gwinnett County $15,000.00 Hall County $15,000.00 Liberty County $15,000.00 Newton County $15,000.00 North Georgia Resource Management Authority $30,000.00 City of Alpharetta $15,000.00 City of Atlanta $15,000.00 City of Columbus $15,000.00 City of Decatur $15,000.00 City of Douglasville $15,000.00 City of Gainesville $15,000.00 City of Kennesaw $15,000.00 City of Monticello $15,000.00 City of Newnan $15,000.00 City of Norcross $15,000.00 City of Rome $15,000.00 City of Roswell $15,000.00 City of Savannah $15,000.00 City of Tifton $15,000.00 City of Valdosta $15,000.00 Trailers Awarded 1 3 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 E-4 Revised Sept. 8, 2010 Grants and Loans to Local Governments 2009 Update Regional Recycling Hubs The Regional Recycling Hubs grant was funded with $2,217,518 from the SWTF. DCA leveraged additional funding totaling $8,042,950 ($4,938,696 in partner-level support and $3,104,254 local government support) for the Hub program. For every $1 (one dollar) of Solid Waste Trust Fund grant funding, DCA leveraged over $3.60 in partner match dollars from private and local government support. Grants were awarded to four (4) local governments across the State. Strategy This competitive grant program was offered to local governments to either modify their existing recycling operations or construct a new facility to establish a network of regional collection hubs for commingled recyclables throughout the state. This effort also supports rural and small community programs, as each hub serves a 50-75 mile radius, as well as serving as collection points for the recycles collected from special events. Implementation Many of the rural communities throughout Georgia do not generate the volume of recyclables needed to warrant independent collection routes. The collection of commingled recyclables makes it more viable for many communities to sponsor recycling programs. In order to increase collection efficiencies and to minimize transportation costs, this Regional Recycling Hub grant supported the development of the infrastructure needed in the form of regional transfer stations for recyclable materials throughout the State. Expected Results Based on initial tonnage estimates reported by the grantee communities, the Regional Recycling Hub Grant program anticipates a 185% increase in the amount of recovered materials to be collected annually upon implementation of the Hub projects. This calculates to a projected landfill savings of $514,500 per year (based on a $35 per ton average disposal fee). A list of communities awarded the Regional Recycling Hub grant in 2008 is included in the table and shown in the Infrastructure map on the following pages. E-5 Revised Sept. 8, 2010 Grants and Loans to Local Governments 2009 Update Community City of Griffin City of Savannah City of Valdosta Bulloch County TOTAL Regional Recycling Hubs Grants Amount $550,000.00 $955,218.00 $425,000.00 $287,300.00 $2,217,518.00 FY 2008 Description Construct a new recycling processing center and purchase the equipment necessary to collect, process, and transport recyclables from communities within a 50 mile radius of the hub. Implement single-stream residential curbside recycling collection in the City. Leverage the development of a privately owned and operated regional recycling hub, promote regional recycling activities, and accept recyclable material within a minimum of a 50 mile radius of the hub. The City shall also implement a recycling marketing strategy as described in the attached Recycling Market Strategy that incorporates the State's recycling campaign. Expand the City's existing recycling processing center infrastructure and convert the facility from a co-mingled processing operation to accept single-stream recyclables to serve as a regional recycling hub, promote regional recycling activities, and accept recyclable material within a minimum of a 75 mile radius of the hub. Modify County's existing recycling center and establish a singlestream recycling processing facility in coastal Georgia to serve as a regional recycling hub, promote regional recycling activities, and accept recyclable material within a minimum of a 50 mile radius of the hub. The project has been delayed due to local and state funding issues. Processing equipment has been purchased and constructon has begun; local officials anticipate construction completed by November 2010. E-6 Revised Sept. 8, 2010 Grants and Loans to Local Governments 2009 Update E-7 Revised Sept. 8, 2010 Grants and Loans to Local Governments 2009 Update DCA also 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. No Local Development Fund Grant projects were awarded during FY 2009. 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 404-679-4789 or ceasley@dca.state.ga.us. E-8 Revised Sept. 8, 2010