Winter 2004 News

With the Bourne ISWMF permit to operate after 2003 uncertain up to the eleventh hour, the SSRC Board struggled to decide what to do with the 8-9000 tons per year of residential construction, demolition and bulky waste its towns accept. In early November, the Planner issued an RFP for the acceptance of both mixed and separated C&D and bulky waste. Mattresses were bid separately. Atlantic North in Rochester, Jet-A-Way in Boston, New Bedford Waste Services, and Waste Management in Raynham and Taunton submitted proposals. Pricing for mixed loads was at least 28% higher than the rate our towns pay to Bourne. Rates for separated C&D were considerably better, and could provide a real incentive for towns to pull out the bulky furniture, rugs, etc, which by weight accounts for less than 20% of that waste stream. Duxbury, Hanover and Rockland already separate the bulky from the C&D.

Kingston DPW Director Paul Basler did the initial review with the Planner, who checked references and presented the bid data to the Board at the Dec. 10 meeting. The results of both evaluations were inconclusive, and another meeting of all interested managers was convened on Dec. 17. The biggest challenges in deciding which proposal was the most advantageous for the whole group were the locations of different towns with respect to the facilities, and to the fact that some towns separate the bulky from the C&D while others do not. All agreed that the ideal situation was for Bourne to be allowed to continue operating as it currently does. The group did make a contingency award recommendation if Bourne were forced to close on Dec. 31, but pending a vote by the Board, that decision will likely be moot.

The following day, Bourne ISWM Environmental Manager Phil Goddard notified the Planner that the facility had received the Authorization to Operate Phase 3 Stage 3 of the landfill. This allows the Town of Bourne to continue processing C&D within the lined landfill through June, 2004. Therefore, they will continue to accept our towns’ material at the current rates until then. The facility must submit a “transition plan” by April 1, 2004 detailing how that material will be managed after June 30. Bourne may continue accepting mixed C&D/bulky loads for transfer. While the rate would certainly increase, it would remain competitive for towns. The Planner solicited four quotes on mattress processing, and the Board was most interested in Miller Recycling’s quote of $14/mattress, which includes container rental and transportation. However, Bourne will continue to accept incidental mattresses mixed with C&D at $10 each plus tip fee at least through the end of June. When transportation and tip fee are included, that price is slightly lower than Miller’s quote. Oddly, Bourne sends the mattresses it pulls out of our loads to Miller for recycling too. The Planner will recommend that the SSRC go back out to bid in the spring, at which point the big picture should be more clear. In the meantime, solid waste managers should be anticipating C&D costs in the $70+/ton range in their FY05 budget requests.

SSRC Awarded Grant

In what maybe the last opportunity to access State recycling grant money for the foreseeable future, the SSRC submitted an application to the Mass. DEP for a technical assistance grant to assess the possibility of setting up recycling programs at local events. Inspired by the success of the program at the Lowell Folk Festival, the Planner saw the annual ten-day Marshfield Fair as an untapped opportunity to divert waste materials, educate area residents on waste reduction, and set a good precedent for other South Shore festivals and gatherings. With the enthusiastic support of the Marshfield Recycling Study Committee’s Bob Griffin and BPW Chairman Joseph Lambert, and the blessing of the SSRC Board, the Planner requested a grant for technical assistance to study the feasibility of setting up a pilot recycling program at the Marshfield Fair. If organizers of area events show an interest in reducing their waste, and host towns can support or require recycling or composting at those events, then a system for maintaining collection containers for use by all member towns would be followed by the purchase of the containers.

Board Ratifies Plan

At the November SSRC MSW Manager Meeting, the Board reviewed an updated Plan for FY04 to keep the Cooperative on track in serving the needs of its members. While many goals remain the same, initiatives that were not in the FY03 Plan include soliciting bids/ proposals for C&D, Mattresses, HHP collections, grinding and screening; gathering, evaluating and sharing solid waste collection, disposal and recycling service and pricing information among member towns; launching an SSRC website; printing and distributing recycling/HHP information mailers for all households in all towns, and focusing advocacy efforts on the reinstatement of CEF and funding for state recycling grant programs. Many of the goals have been or are in the process of being accomplished. The Board will revisit the Plan in the spring.

SSRC Considers NRRA Deals

Elizabeth Bedard, the Northeast Resource Recovery Assn’s Executive Director, presented a summary of its ser-vices to the SSRC Board on Oct.15. While the NRRA provides many services, her presentation focused on the association’s cooperative marketing of scrap metal, glass and tires for its members.

Using cost and tonnage data provided by our towns, the Planner has evaluated the programs to determine whether they would make economic sense for SSRC towns that could use them. The scrap metal program in fact seemed too good to be true, with no hauling charges and a rebate on all tonnage based on the market rate (currently at $15/ton). Even with membership dues figured in, twelve of our towns could save a combined total of over $128K based on CY02 costs. Those towns were provided with the numbers and will make whatever arrangements they see fit.

In the glass program, 300 tons must be aggregated, at which time the NRRA arranges for a professional grinder to process the glass to 3/8” minus “processed glass aggregate” (PGA), which resembles sand but has superior frost characteristics in road applications. The State’s BUD (Beneficial Use Determination), Policy BWP-94-011, allows for uncontaminated mixed color PGA to be used “as a replacement for natural aggregate materials (gravel, crushed gravel, or crushed stone) and other specific uses outlined by the Department”. The program would save money for our four towns that collect source separated glass as an alternative to delivering 350 tons/year of colored or mixed color glass to Container Recycling Alliance in Franklin . Not including the potential reduction in hauling costs, savings would amount to at least $5,400/year in processing costs for those towns, and ease the problem of load rejection. The Planner has investigated potential public and private aggregation sites, which would require about 3,000 square feet of area. One of our towns will consider the request after some construction is completed midyear.

The costs of the NRRA’s tire program appear to be equivalent to those that our towns currently use. For more information, call 603-798-5777, or go to www.recyclewithus.org .

Good News on Freon, School CRTs

Thanks to improving scrap metal markets, CRTRecycling announced a price reduction on the management of refrigerators and air conditioners. Principal Peter Kopcych is now charging $5 for each air conditioner and $7 per fridge for pickup, Freon removal and recycling. That pricing should be stable for 2 years. The company is shipping the steel overseas, where markets are strong.

The company also revealed that it will collect old computers from schools for free, provided that there are a minimum of 100 monitors and a loading dock. Computers will be shipped to Spain and to approved facilities in Taiwan for reuse, or recycled in house.

Kopcych also reported that Sony is no longer making glass TVs, which has further reduced the demand for recycled leaded glass CRTs. To counter the resulting processing cost increases for leaded glass, he is building a smelter in Maine to process the glass into leaded glass tiles.

HHP Collections:

Cost Up, Participation Down

2003 saw the fewest residents attending SSRC household hazardous product collections since it kept records in 1999. Our fifteen member towns processed 2,435 cars last year, after topping 3,000 in the previous two. This reflects a statewide trend. While the reason is not clear, the popular wisdom is that the backlog of hazardous material has been largely cleared out of people’s basements, and we are now at maintenance.

With town budgets in their current dismal state, this would be good news, as costs to run the collections are rising faster than Proposition 2½ allows. Since the takeover of our contractor Safety Kleen by Clean Harbors, larger towns that have traditionally saved money paying by the drum are paying more than those paying by the car. With a per car rate of $36 in the current contract, high drum rates drove the average per car cost up to $40. All towns are advised to pay by the car for the remainder of the contract, which expires June 30, 2004 .

The SSRC will be requesting proposals for FY05-06 this spring. There will likely be a setup charge included this time, and towns with turnouts below 100 are encouraged to team up and conduct joint collections. In 2003 Hull and Cohasset, Duxbury and Kingston , and Abington and Whitman teamed up, and plan to continue the successful arrangements.

Where Did Everybody Go?

Marshfield , Duxbury, Plymouth Face Changes

It’s time to update our contact lists. The past fall saw rearrangement of staff in some of our towns.

Chairman Emeritus Gregory Robbins left the Marshfield DPW in November to assist Framingham DPW Director Peter Sellars. As Project Manager, he is involved in engineering, highway and solid waste projects, including making improvements to the Town’s recycling center. BPW Chairman Joseph Lambert is out for a couple of months also following knee replacement surgery. Town Engineer Rod Procaccino will be handling the solid waste-related work until the department is reorganized.

After Mary Farrell’s departure in August, Director Leigh Peck and Ass’t Director Joe Pine also left the Plymouth DPW. Duxbury DPW’s Paul Balboni has assumed many of Pine’s responsibilities in Plymouth , although the depart-ment is being reorganized. Plymouth ’s Town Engineer Saeed Kashi was appointed Acting DPW Director, and Arthur Douylliez has taken on the recycling program.

Following Balboni’s departure, Duxbury is also reorganizing. Transfer Station Foreman George Cook and Highway Foreman Ed Vickers will be sharing his solid waste related responsibilities.

The shifts have left both Marshfield and Plymouth without SSRC Board representatives.

Special Collections Work

To close some familiar budget gaps, Hol-brook cancelled its curbside leaf and white goods service. $35,000 was more than town leaders felt Holbrook could afford for seven yard waste pickups this year. But since residents’ dryers still break, leaves continued to drop, and Holbrook lacks drop-off and compost sites, Selectman Jeff Lowe and the DPW set up two successful one-day events. CRTRecycling collected appliances, TVs and electronics at the October event. Residents paid $10 and filled three trucks with fridges, micro-waves, computers, etc, at a school. The $3,600 in proceeds was split with the Holbrook Athletic Boosters. Selectman and SSRC Board represent-tative Lowe remarked that he would do another collection like that again “in a heartbeat”. It is likely that another one will be scheduled in the spring.

In mid-November, Lowe and the DPW set up a collection for tires, propane tanks, and bags of leaves at the school. Residents paid the Town of Holbrook $3/20 lb. propane tank, which were accepted on site by Interstate Refrigeration at a cost to the Town of $360. Mainline Tire collected tires and money directly from the residents, charging $1.50/car tire, $10 if > 20”. The vendors took away 180 propane tanks and 200 tires.

BFI filled 2 compactors with bagged leaves at a cost of $2,500. The Town charged residents $1/ bag, taking in over 1300 bags. BFI brought the leaves to Bridgewater Farms for composting. Another leaf collection planned for December 13 was snowed out (I’m sure you recall). In addition to considering another such collection in the spring, Holbrook is exploring other options for collecting residential yard waste, including making an arrangement with a local farm and working cooperatively with the Town of Abington and/or Whitman, which have compost sites.

The Town of Braintree teams up with the Friends of Thayer Public Library to collect TVs and electronics at HHP collections. For the past five years the League of Women Voters has con-ducted similar fund-raisers in conjunction with the HHP collections for tires and car batteries. These are useful fundraising models for other towns.

Concord takes the prize with its two “Dropoff and Swapoff” days per year. Solid Waste Manager Ann Dorfman coordinates scores of volunteers and vendors to collect everything from bikes to blankets, old sneakers to styrofoam. At the fall event, the town recycled and donated over 50 tons of materials from 740 residents, and just about broke even. For more information, go to www.concordnet.org/dpw/recycle/html/dropoffday.

CRT Takeback for Muni RFPs

Grandma used to say “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” While I doubt that she ever verified this lovely expression, the principle can be applied to the producer takeback movement. In an effort led by Clean Water Action, Rep. Mark Carron filed a bill that would require manufacturers of CRTs ( TVs and computer monitors) to take physical or financial responsibility for their safe end of life management. His bill, H1533, awaits action in the Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture. While it waits for a blessing that it may not get, CWA has drafted language empowering municipalities to require product takeback in procurement specifications.

The following suggested language may be inserted in computer procurement bids:

“Take Back Provisions. Bidders shall provide for the return of used equipment to the original manufacturer or third party entity for environmentally responsible reuse or recycling, at no additional cost to the contract user. Such take-back methods may include but are not limited to:

-one-for-one exchange of equipment offered by or previously purchased from the contract user, upon purchase of new equipment from the contract user, or

-collection of any used computer by Bidder or sub-contractor for reuse or recycling preferably including provisions to continue recycling operations should a sub-contractor no longer be able to perform such activities.”

This requirement would shift the burden of handling and disposing of old, toxic equipment from the municipality to the producer, and further encourage manufacturers to design products with the end of life management in mind, “killing two birds with one stone”. For more information, call Kara Reeve at Clean Water Action, 617-338-8131, kreeve@cleanwater.org.

HP, Dell Takeback Programs

Dell and Hewlett Packard currently offer consumers a home pick-up recycling option when new equipment is purchased. Dell’s website, www.dell.com/recycling, details how to recycle equipment for $7.50/ component. According to the website: “In addition, we will send you an online coupon for 10% off your next software & peripheral online purchases ... We accept any brand of computer, keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer, fax machine, scanner, speakers, etc.”

Dell has also collected 1000 tons of equipment through grants and assistance to municipalities in setting up one day collections. "We want to empower communities to run their own collection events and to help educate consumers about the importance of computer reuse and recycling end-of-life options," said Pat Nathan, Dell's Sustainable Business Director.

Hewlett Packard offers coupons worth up to the cost of recycling for each component . It’s website, http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/globalcitizenship/ environment/recycle/ecoupon.html, states, “This program is designed to encourage and reward the environmentally and socially responsible recycling of your old computer equipment. HP’s state-of-the-art recycling process ensures that your unwanted hardware is recycled in a way that protects the environment and conserves resources”. The cost to recycle a computer and monitor id $46, but qualifies the recycler for a $50 coupon toward the purchase.

Both companies are setting a good trend for the electronics industry and for municipal solid waste managers.

Good Stuff Cheap

The Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) is working with regional recycling coordinators to help match surplus equipment with municipal and school offices that can use it. There is a large supply of equipment available from the State Surplus Property Office, Institution Recycling Network (IRN) and other outlets. In many cases items can be obtained for a nominal $10-$20 per item handling fee.

Municipal officials who would like to provide “wish lists” of surplus equipment, or receive email notices with direct links to the websites plus selected photo(s) of surplus on a regular basis should contact the, their local MRIP coordinator, or DEP’s John Crisley at john.crisley@state.ma.us. Towns that are undertaking new construction projects, or outfitting existing buildings with office equipment, should take advantage of these programs to save their communities money while obtaining quality used equipment.

The Mass. State Surplus Property Program can be accessed at www.mass.gov/osd (click on “buy off state contract” and then “buy surplus property”). The IRN Surplus Network website is www.surplusnetwork.net.

Municipal Recycling Councils Meet Again

As reported in the last issue, MassRecycle’s Statewide Municipal Recycling Council (MRC) Chairman Ann Dorfman woke up the dormant MRCs in eastern Mass. , helping the two regional coordinators to schedule regular meetings. Lowell Recycling Coordinator Tina Klein held a Northeast MRC meeting on Nov.18, and your Planner, who also holds the title of Southeast MRC Chair, followed suit on Nov. 19. Our cozy group discussed a wide range of issues, including the State budget, the future of the DEP Southeast Regional Office, the proposed expanded bottle bill, surplus equipment programs, funding mechanisms for HHP collections, transfer station design, how to save money in a curbside program, alternative glass outlets (PGA), safety issues at dropoff sites and plastic contamination at compost sites. Managers learned from each other, and we even had a sing along at the end!

Those in attendance look forward to the next meeting, scheduled for Tues., Jan. 20 from 9-noon at the DEP Southeast Regional Office.

Legislation

Procurement Hearings Scheduled

The Joint Committee on State Administration was directed to study and make recommendations for improvements to the Uniform Procurement Act (Chapter 30B) to assist municipalities by March 31. It will hold two hearings on procurement thresholds, exemptions, definitions, and additions to the UPA.. The current Act includes a provision exempting solid waste and recycling from the UPA, which the Inspector General recommends be eliminated. The first hearing is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 12 at 10 am at the State House, Room B-2. For more information, call Donald Jordan or Mary Mondare, Joint Committee on State Administration, 617-722-2320.

S376 Waste to Energy Grant Extension

This bill, which would provide continued relief to contracted municipalities for more of the costs of the mercury emissions regulations passed through by SEMASS and other WTE facilities, was sent to the Committee on Ways and Means last June by the Committee on Energy. No action has been taken yet.

H4293 Renewable Portfolio Standard

Passage of this bill could result in “profit sharing” with SEMASS by adding value to the electricity generated. The Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) establishes a baseline of electricity from renewable sources which retail power suppliers will be required to purchase, and increases each year (see Fall 2003 Newsletter). The SSRC sent a letter of support for H4293, an amended version of H523, which includes electricity generated by waste-to-energy facilities as a “renewable energy” source. After much consideration of the profit sharing arrangement with municipalities that have contracts with WTE facilities, the Committee on Energy reported favorably on the bill in November and sent it to the Committee on Ways and Means.

S1213 Unfunded Mandates

“An Act Relative to Certain Municipal Costs”, which tightens up the way DEP imposes guidelines, policies and permit requirements on regulated facilities, remains in the Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture, with no report since its hearing last June.

H2020 Expanded Bottle Bill

Expanding the Bottle Bill to include noncarbonated beverage containers got an extra push last year when Gov. Romney included it in his budget proposal, but that outside section didn’t make it through the process. The Committee on Energy, which typically considers such legislation every session, heard testi-mony on H3940, an Expanded Bottle Bill filed by Rep. Nuciforo, at its June hearing. The Committee drafted an accompanying bill, H2020, which directed the Committee to study past documents relative to the Bottle Bill, which is distinct from sending the bill to “study” (the bill graveyard). This bill was sent to the Committee on Rules. Energy Committee Chairman Sen. O’Leary subse-quently held a series of stakeholder meetings to consider the long term prospects for the Bottle Bill, including one to which the Planner was invited. Sen. O’Leary expressed reluctance to expand the Bill until problems surrounding its administration in its current form are corrected. Among the Senator’s concerns are the elimination of the Clean Environment Fund, the complex nature of the redemption system at the retail and distributor level, sustainability of redemption centers, declining redemption rates, interstate fraud, and the economic impact to businesses in towns bordering non-Bottle Bill states.

Advocates Across State Calling for FY05 Recycling Funding

Greg Smith, Cape Cod Commission

In FY04, the economy faltered and Governor Romney began to look for ways to solve the budget crisis facing the Common-wealth. In the FY 04 budget, House Ways and Means recommended eliminating the Clean Environment Fund (CEF) and returning escheated funds into the General Fund. This recommendation was mirrored in the Governor’s FY 04 budget and Section 323 F of Chapter 94 of the General Laws was repealed. Recycling funding was cut to $600K.

A variety of entities throughout the Commonwealth opposed Governor Romney’s actions and sought legislative assistance to overturn them. The legislature responded favorably and appropriated $3.5 million to cover basic costs associated with several of these DEP programs. While considerably less than in years past, the funds allowed some programs to continue providing valuable assistance to municipalities. According to the Office of the State Comptroller’s Fiscal Affairs Division, almost fifty minor funds were eliminated in FY 04. In the absence of the Clean Environment Fund, abandoned Bottle Bill receipts have been rolled into the Stabilization Fund. The absence of CEF appropriations has meant that those DEP sponsored programs, including the Municipal Recycling Incentive Program (MRIP), as well as Equipment Grants, are no longer available to municipalities. Technical Assistance grants have been severely curtailed as well.

The Executive Office of Environmental Affairs has just finished its FY 05 budget request and will be presenting it to the Romney Administration by Jan. 15. During the process, EOEA considered eliminating recycling line item in the budget.

On Nov. 25, recycling advocates packed the EOEA Budget Hearing, presenting nearly half of all testimony. On December 8^th, a small group of advocates (MassRecycle, South Shore Recycling Cooperative, CET, Clean Water Action and the Town of Concord ) met with EOEA Undersecretary James Stergios to discuss the proposed budget and stress the importance of ensuring that a recycling line item be included in the request. At the meeting, Secretary Stergios acknowledged a flood of correspondence on the issue and stated that EOEA was considering a variety of options to maintain its recycling technical assistance functions.

EOEA’s budget request, which will likely contain some funding for recycling, must be reviewed by the Office of Administration and Finance, after which the Governor will present his budget priorities in his State of the State address on Jan. 15, and will file his House 1 Budget proposal with the House of Representatives on January 28. Then the Legislature will prepare and debate their budgets through the spring and send their final version back to the Governor.

Should funding for recycling be omitted in the final FY 05 budget, DEP recycling staff elimination will result. Furthermore, financial and technical support will likely cease for the many municipalities that have historically relied on that assistance to both meet state recycling goals as well as implement innovative recycling strategies within their communities. The Governor’s Office can be reached at 617-725-4005, fax 617-727-9725.

C&D Regulation Updates

Inching Along

After languishing in internal review at DEP for over a year, the proposed regulations to ban the disposal of some construction materials, to require double liners in new landfill cells, and to amend Beneficial Use Determinations (BUDs) have been forwarded to the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs for comment. After another stop at Administration and Finance for cost-benefit analysis, public hearings will be scheduled, hopefully this winter. If the draft remains in its current form following those reviews, stakeholders may wish to comment on the following issues:

F the proposed implementation date, currently at 9 months from promulgation (which would occur after the hearings)

F whether to have material specific transition period for facilities

F whether municipal waste combustors should be exempt from the disposal ban on wood

F whether the future ban of gypsum from disposal should not be considered

F whether there should be an exemption on the monitoring of residential loads of less than 5 CY at municipal facilities

The 20% combined allowance for banned materials in MSW loads came through the DEP review intact. It was pointed out however that the 5 CY exemption from load inspection does not apply once the loads are aggregated, so municipalities would be subject to the disposal ban on loads larger than 5CY.

When the administrative reviews are complete, hearings will likely be scheduled at each of the three regional offices over the course of about thirty days.

DEP to Hold 11^th Annual Waste Reduction Forum

The Mass. Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and Dep’t of Environmental Protection invite you to attend the 11^th Annual Waste Reduction Forum at Quinsigamond Community College , Worcester , MA on January 13, 2004 from 8:30-3:45 .
Over a dozen sessions will provide you with examples of municipal and agency successes with the latest and greatest cost-saving sustainable measures for their facilities and residents. Session topics include the following:

" Promoting your program in the media

" Recycling at public facilities

" Food waste composting: beyond the backyard

and many more. For more information or to register, go to http://www.state.ma.us/dep/recycle/cities.htm, or contact Steve Long at stephen.long@state.ma.us, or at 617-292-5734

Cuts Force DEP to Refocus Efforts

In the face of a 25% budget cut and corresponding loss of staff, the DEP has had to do some soul searching and strategizing to maintain its effectiveness as a regulatory agency. DEP Compliance Chief Steve DeGabrielle outlined Strategic Targeting, Assessment and Response, or “STAR”, a streamlined, systematic approach to fulfilling the Department’s mandate with reduced resources at the October 30 SWANA Technical Session. The DEP has had to analyze how to maximize its impact in the face of a 30% staff reduction and 25% budget cut. It is charged with regulating about 30,000 small businesses, 1,000 medium and large businesses, transportation and other services.

The will strive to improve environmental performance by first assessing what regulated entities pose the greatest risk, providing reduced oversight of low risk operations sufficient to maintain deterrence. The Department is evaluating control models to determine the extent to which voluntary reporting and third party oversight (such as ISO certification) are effective.

Publicity Ops at ECall

ECall, the Massachusetts Recycling Hot-line, continues to provide accurate local recy-cling information by town. Operating on a shoe-string since 1991, the service has provided inex-pensive sponsorship opportunities to large and small businesses and local service groups such as Girl Scouts. Sponsorship rates are based on town population, which on the South Shore ranges from about $150 for Cohasset (pop. 7,500) to $1,200 for Weymouth (pop 54,000). Sponsors are recognized with press releases, posters and a plug on the town message. Organizations and businesses interested in sponsoring this service should call 800-239-2071. The hotline number is 1-800-800-6881.

Bourne Gets Last Minute Extension

SSRC Awarded Grant

Board Ratifies Plan