A well-maintained and clean
facility, where recyclables are sorted and — if possible — reused has resulted
in a glowing review of the Yolo County Central Landfill by the Grand Jury.
In the first of what will be
several reports on its activities this past year, the Grand Jury’s
investigation into the Landfill concluded that it “operates waste management
effectively.”
In its Friday report, the Grand
Jury called for the implementation of a non-hazardous waste reuse program,
increased education and outreach efforts, and further investigation into the
potential use of solar panels on the landfill property. The report also recommended
Landfill staff update the website to reflect current activities and offerings
provided.
“YCCL has been innovative in being one of the
first landfills in the United States and the first in California to have a full
scale bio-reactor operating to break down waste efficiently and effectively,”
the Grand Jury found.
A bio-reactor landfill operates
to rapidly transform and degrade organic waste. The increase in waste
degradation and stabilization is accomplished through the addition of liquid
and/or air to enhance microbial processes.
The last time the Grand Jury
toured the Landfill was in 2007, and there has not been an investigation of the
facility since 1998.
As a result, the Grand Jury
decided to do some initial research, interviews, a more detailed investigation
and then an actual site visit.
Members of the Grand Jury
visited the facility in October 2014 and February 2015, looking at the current
and short-term future operations of 722-acre site on County Road 28H south of
Woodland that opened in 1975.
According to the Grand Jury, in
2013, 167,000 tons of waste were deposited at the Landfill, with about 82
percent of the waste coming from within the county.
“During the investigation, the Grand Jury
discovered that there are still residents who are unaware of many of the
restrictions on items they might be placing in their garbage intended for the
landfill,” according to the report. “Current education includes messages in
various mailings and newsletters, calendars, websites, school visits, landfill
informational packets, and the location of battery recycling containers in
local communities.”
The Grand Jury also learned
that the Landfill began using bio-reactor technology in a 1992 pilot study to
determine the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the program. Landfill staff
has determined that the “bio-reactor cells” that are enhanced with liquid (wet
cells) are more efficient in breaking down, accelerating the decomposition, and
decreasing the volume of garbage.
Construction of the first full
scale bio-reactor was completed in 2002 on a 12-acre area that consists of a
2.5 acre aerobic (dry) cell, and 3.5 and 6 acre anaerobic (wet) cells.
Now, there is a new pilot
project using anaerobic bio-digester technology under way on a quarter-acre
cell area.
This involves the process of
utilizing clean organic wastes — naturally biodegradable materials derived from
plants, animals, or carbon compounds. Decomposition is enhanced through the
injection of liquid to accelerate the breaking down of biodegradable materials
like green wastes, manure and food wastes in the absence of oxygen.
This produces methane gas used
to generate electricity which also reduces air emissions.
The methane gas production was
worrisome, the Jury indicated. Minnesota Methane, a subsidiary of Fortistar, is
a private company operating methane gas recovery for electricity production at
the landfill with the Landfill receiving royalties averaging around $130,000
per year for the last five years including 2014.
But under the Yolo County
Landfill Commercial Gas Production Agreement, executed in 1985, all specified
opt-out dates have passed making it difficult for the county to amend or cancel
the contract, thus limiting not only the amount of service but the amount of
revenue received as well.
“The grand jury discovered the county is
currently researching potential options and has implemented safeguards to
prevent open-ended contracts,” the report stated. “Current contracting policies
state that multiple year contracts must include provisions for early
termination and must be contingent upon available funding.
As well, according to the Jury,
“At the beginning of the investigation the grand jury found that under the
category of ‘Innovative Projects,’ the YCCL website contained information on
projects which were no longer current (such as rubberized asphalt concrete) and
was missing information on current projects (such as the bio-digester). A
recent Yolo County website redesign noted many of the web page addresses have
changed and search results may not be accurate for a time.”
Under its recommendations, the
Grand Jury is making five suggestions:
• The director of the Department of Planning, Public Works and
Environmental Services, in consultation with the County Counsel, shall
implement a non hazardous waste reuse program for the public by June 1, 2016.
• The Planning director shall increase education and outreach
efforts on proper sorting and disposal of waste for all residents of Yolo
County by Jan. 1, 2016, including non-English language speakers, and recent
residents.
• The Planning director shall complete an assessment plan on the
possibility of utilizing solar
• Beginning Sept. 1, 2015, the planning director shall review and
update website content at least quarterly to reflect current information.
• Immediately, County Counsel and the Chief Administrative Officer
shall follow Yolo County adopted policies when entering into any contract to
provide goods or services to, or for the utilization of resources generated by,
the Yolo County Central Landfill.
May
22, 2015
Woodland
Daily Democrat
By Jim Smith
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