Georgia Solid Waste Trust Fund Report for Fiscal Year 2012 Environmental Protection Divsion Georgia Department of Natural Resources The Solid Waste Trust Fund The Solid Waste Trust Fund was established in 1990 as part of the Georgia Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Act. In 1992, an amendment to the Act established a primary source of funding for the fund in the form of a $1.00 fee on every new tire sold in the state. With the passage of House Bill 274 in 2011, the Georgia General Assembly extended collection of the fee through FY 2014. Each year, the fees collected the previous year may be appropriated by the General Assembly to the Environmental Protection Division (EPD), whose director is authorized by the Act to serve as the fund's trustee. Appropriation for FY 2012 The General Assembly appropriated $1,042,075 to the Solid Waste Trust Fund to clean up illegal scrap tire dumps, properly close abandoned landfills, and fund waste reduction and recycling activities and administrative and operational costs for FY 2012. EPD is required by the Act to produce an annual report on activities funded by the trust fund; this report fulfills that requirement. Fees Collected on New Tires Sold and Amount Appropriated to SWTF FY 2002 to FY 2012 $20,000,000 $18,000,000 $16,000,000 $14,000,000 $12,000,000 $10,000,000 $8,000,000 $6,000,000 $4,000,000 $2,000,000 $- Fees Collected Fees Appropriated Reserve Balance FY 2012 | 2 Solid Waste Trust Fund Expenditures SWTF Expenditures by Authorized Use FY 2002 - FY 2012 $9,000,000 $8,000,000 $7,000,000 $6,000,000 $5,000,000 $4,000,000 $3,000,000 $2,000,000 $1,000,000 $0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Scrap Tire Management & Abatement Local Government Enforcement & Education Grants Waste Reduction & Litter Education Market Development Operations & Fund Administration Emergency Response & Corrective Action Litter Enforcement Abandoned Landfill Care & Cleanup FY 2012 | 3 Scrap Tire Clean Up & Management The goal of EPD's Scrap Tire Management Program is to help ensure that scrap tires generated in Georgia do not end up littering the state in illegal dumps, but are recovered for reuse. Since the program was established in 1992, more than 14.5 million scrap tires have been removed from illegal tire dumps and used either as raw material for new products or as a source of fuel. The program employs a combination of tools to determine if scrap tires are being managed in accordance with state regulations, including issuing permits, performing inspections, and conducting site visits. Permits. The program is responsible for issuing permits to businesses that transport, sort, and process or recycle scrap tires. In FY 2012, permits were issued to 25 transporters, six sorters, and two processors. By the end of the fiscal year, there were 182 permitted transporters, 58 permitted sorters, and 10 permitted processors. Generator Approvals. The program also approves tire retailers and other businesses (such as public and private fleet owners) that generate scrap tires. In FY 2012, 549 new generators were approved. By the end of the fiscal year, there were 7,206 approved scrap tire generators in Georgia. Fee Collection. The scrap tire generators (e.g., tire retailers) are responsible for collecting the $1.00 fee for each new tire sold. In FY 2012, $6.2 million was collected and remitted to EPD. Site Visits. Five EPD field personnel perform routine inspections of scrap tire-related businesses across the state. In FY 2012, there were 1,908 such visits. These EPD employees also make site visits in order to help businesses understand the state's solid waste rules and instruct local governments on what to do when scrap tire dumps are discovered in their jurisdictions. There were 213 such visits in FY 2012. When tires are found in illegal dumps, an investigation is conducted to determine who was responsible. In FY 2012, the SWTF was used to remove 228,971 tires from 10 dump sites around the state. FY 2012 | 4 Solid Waste Reduction & Recycling Staff members in EPD's Waste Reduction and Abatement Program respond to inquiries about waste reduction and recycling from businesses and the general public; participate in local, state and national initiatives that promote waste reduction; and manage special projects on specific waste reduction issues. Composting and Food Residuals Diversion In FY 2012, staff members worked with stakeholders to develop proposed revisions to the Solid Waste Management Rules in Georgia. EPD also worked closely with the U.S. Composting Council to develop a model Rule template, which could be used by other states. Technical Assistance In FY 2012, the unit responded to more than 100 requests for technical assistance, including questions about recycling various materials, legislation, grant availability, composting, e-scrap recycling business development, and managing yard trimmings. In-depth market development assistance was also provided to two companies considering locating new facilities in Georgia. Staff members helped gather and map information on the availability of materials required for the companies' manufacturing processes. Solid Waste Disposed in FY 2011 86.4% Municipal Solid Waste Landfills 11,671,171 tons 12.4% Construction & Demolition Debris Landfills 1,671,784 tons 1.2%Other 160,556 tons Commercial & Industrial Landfills Industrial Carpet Monofill Incinerators Total Solid Waste Disposed in FY 2011 13,503,511 tons FY 2012 | 5 Solid Waste Education & Outreach A public that has an awareness of environmental issues-- as well as the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions and take responsible actions--is vital to maintaining public health and the quality of the environment. With this in mind, EPD created EEinGeorgia.org to deliver environmental education and solid waste resources to educators and schools. Education plays a vital role in reducing litter and illegal dumping, ensuring the proper management of solid waste, reducing waste, and increasing diversion of materials from landfills to recycling facilities. EEinGeorgia.org serves as the online guide to environmental education in the state. By the end of FY 2012, the website's directory of organizations contained 423 state agencies, nonprofits, and other groups offering environmental education resources and events and 100 schools had created profile pages to showcase their green activities, such as recycling programs. Classroom teachers, home-school and non-formal educators (such as scout leaders and nature center staff ) rely on the site to find environmental education lesson plans, curriculum guides, grants, awards and outreach programs. In FY 2012, visitors to the site viewed 209,428 pages, an average of 17,452 pages per month. A calendar of workshops, conferences, professional learning courses and activities that appeal to anyone with an interest in environmental education, featured 468 such events in FY 2012. An electronic newsletter containing the most recent additions to the site was emailed to subscribers each month. By the end of FY 2012, there were 6,031 subscribers, an increase of 13.7 percent from FY 2011. To reach more teachers and parents, in FY 2012, EPD personnel participated in the following events: Georgia Parent Teacher Association Convention and Leadership Training Georgia Evergreen Schools Meeting Georgia Outdoor Classroom Symposium High Performance Healthy Schools Summit Georgia Independent School Association Conference Georgia Science Teachers Association Conference Georgia Organics Conference and Farm-to-School Symposium Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia Conference FY 2012 | 6 Emergency Response, Corrective Action and Abandoned Landfill Care & Clean Up For more than 10 years, the Kersey-Firetower Road tire landfill in Upson County operated as a legally-permitted dumping ground for scrap tires. By the time it closed, and was subsequently abandoned in 1996, the nine-acre site contained approximately 3.6 million tires, many of which were simply dumped over the edge of steep slopes into large gullies. When the "cover" (usually composed of layers of soil, a synthetic fabric cap, and specific types of vegetation) is not maintained on a landfill, conditions can deteriorate rapidly. At the Upson County site, erosion from years of rain caused many once buried tires to become exposed. These exposed tires, along with uncontrolled brush, increased the risk of fire. Given the state of the landfill, EPD sought funding to clean up the site, thus minimizing the risks to human health and the environment. The price to excavate, clean, transport and recycle the tires was estimated at more than $8 million. Because the initial plan was not economically feasible, EPD decided to properly close the landfill (i.e., stabilize and bury all tires and establish permanent vegetation on the surface). The cost for this plan was estimated at $3.3 million. In FY 2010, EPD contracted with a firm to prepare the closure plan and monitor work performed by the primary construction contractor. In FY 2011, the construction contractor was selected. To date, the contractor has: Established erosion and sedimentation controls Cleared and graded the site Installed a synthetic geogrid to strengthen the landfill surface Installed a synthetic fabric on top of the buried tires to prevent cover soils from moving into the tires Covered the fabric with soil In FY 2012, $112,832.55 from the SWTF was paid to the contractor responsible for the final stages of construction. Once permanent vegetation is established, the contractor will submit a final certification report to EPD. When EPD approves this report, construction activities will officially be completed and EPD will issue the final payment. FY 2012 | 7