KANE COUNTY SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN FIVE YEAR UPDATE November, 1997 VOLUME 1 Prepared by the Kane County Department of Environmental Management Geneva, Illinois Adopted by the Kane County Board 1997 KANE COUNTY BOARD MEMBERS Michael W. McCoy, Chairman William Morse Michael Arians District 25, Hampshire District 15, Elgin Rudolf Neuberger Penelope Cameron District 8, Aurora District 4, Aurora Donald Rage Bonnie Campbell District 23, Sleepy Hollow District 21, W. Dundee Mary Richards Jan Carlson District 2, Aurora District 26, Elbum James Spear Jack Cook District 24, Carpentersville District 20, Elgin Karen Steve-McConnaughay Paul Greviskes District 14, St. Charles District 6, Aurora Dorothy Sanchez Tom Hartwell District 1, Aurora District 16, Elgin Jackie Tredup John Hoscheit District 22, Elgin District 12, St. Charles Caryl VanOvermeiren Catherine Hurlbut District 13, St. Charles District 19, Elgin Douglas Weigand Gerald Jones District 10, Batavia District 7, Aurora Donald Wolfe Dennis Kosinski District 18, Elgin District 17, Elgin John Wood Robert McCormaughay District 3, Aurora District 11, Geneva William Wyatt James Mitchell District 5, Aurora District 9, Aurora ICANE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Timothy Harbaugh, P.E., Director Gary Mielke, Recycling Coordinator Steve Garrison, Manager of Landfill Operations Maureen Anderson, Stormwater Management Planning Plan Consultants Plan Update compiled by Engineering Solutions, Inc., Geneva, IL Chapter 5 Evaluation of Alternative Waste Technologies prepared by Andrews Environmental Engineering, Inc., Warrenville, IL Evaluation of Waste Markets Report contained in Appendix II prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc., Chicago, IL. Ill KANE COUNTY SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN FIVE YEAR UPDATE TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary and Conclusions Chapter 1.0 Introduction Chapter 2.0 Solid Waste Needs Assessment Waste Composition and Generation Rates Projecting Kane County Demographics Projecting Kane County Waste Generation at Chapter 3.0 Waste Reduction Existing Programs and Goals to Expand Source Reduction Household Hazardous Waste Tire Processing Waste Oil Processing Latex Paint Recycling Landscape Waste Composting Household Appliance Recycling Battery Collection Chapter 4.0 Recycling C: fri1/4 Present Recycling in Kane County Projecting Recycling Goals Residential Recycling Commercial Recycling Construction and Demolition Recycling Recycling Education Chapter 5.0 Assessment of Alternative and Emerging Technologies 4- au— Gaga() Chapter 6.0 Transfer Stations , (01- Chapter 7.0 Landfilling 7t. e- Settler's Hill Landfill Projecting Landfill Capacity in Illinois Future Landfill Activities in Kane County iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On November 10, 1992 Kane County adopted the Solid Waste Management Plan, prepared in compliance with the Illinois Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act (415 ILCS 15/1 et seq). The Planning and Recycling Act requires that, "each county waste management plan shall be updated and reviewed every five years, and any necessary or appropriate revisions shall be submitted to the (Illinois Environmental Protection) Agency for review and comment." This document, the Kane County Solid Waste Management Plan update (Update), has been prepared in accordance with this requirement. The Kane County Plan was developed over a period of two years by the Kane County Development Department. A twenty member Solid Waste Plan Advisory Committee was appointed by the County Board in June 1990, reviewed the Plan during its development and made recommendations to the County. Each step of the planning process was also reviewed by the Development Committee of the County Board. In September 1995, the County Board directed the Department of Environmental Management, a new department created in June 1994, which now administers the solid waste program of the County, to begin this Update of the Plan. Each piece of the Plan Update was reviewed by the Solid Waste Committee. An assessment of solid waste needs found that in the base year of 1989, 490,820 tons of solid waste were generated, the equivalent of 8.4 pounds per person each day. In 1997, with an estimated population growth of approximately 18% since 1989, it is estimated that Kane County will generate 572,390 tons of waste; again, the equivalent of 8.4 pounds per person each day, of which 37% is residential waste, 28% is commercial waste, 22% is industrial waste, and 13% is construction and demolition waste. In 1989, approximately 9% of the waste stream was recycled. With aggressive recycling programs, the County has achieved a countywide recycling rate of 37.6% in 1996, and has set a 52% recycling rate goal by the year 2003. The County has the most aggressive recycling program in Illinois. Curbside recycling is offered to every resident. The County has adopted a multi-family recycling ordinance where owners of multi-family dwelling units must provide recycling service for the occupants of their buildings, and waste haulers must provide recycling services to all residential dwelling units they serve within Kane County. In addition, Kane County has adopted a commercial recycling ordinance. This ordinance requires all commercial establishments in the County to recycle the two largest recyclable materials in their waste stream. Haulers may not collect waste from any establishment that is not recycling. The County not only has adopted these ordinances, but they are being enforced. The County has developed educational programs targeted at both the general public and school populations. These actions have allowed our residential and commercial recycling programs to mature. Construction and demolition waste recycling has been a difficult challenge. The County will continue to pursue programs which will increase recycling of this portion of our waste stream. Programs aimed at reducing the amount of solid waste produced in the County will continue to be developed and expanded. These programs include source reduction, household hazardous waste collection events, tire collection events, waste oil collection events, latex paint drop-off facilities, landscape waste composting, household appliance recycling, and battery collection programs. The County commissioned a detailed evaluation of waste technologies be conducted. This study evaluated and compared several waste technologies to landfilling. Kane County has two active landfills. The Woodland Landfill, located in unincorporated St. Charles Township, is owned and operated by Waste Management of Illinois, Inc. This facility has a projected life of approximately two and a half years. Waste Management has committed that this landfill will not expand. The other active landfill is Settler's Hill, located in unincorporated Geneva Township, owned by Kane County and operated by Waste Management. This facility received siting approval by the -County Board for an expansion of 5.5 million cubic yards of capacity in January, 1994. The siting approval was challenged, and ultimately upheld in September, 1997. Upon receiving approval of this expansion, the County Board, the City of Geneva, and Waste Management entered into a three party binding agreement which resolved differences concerning this facility, and commits that Settler's Hill will cease accepting waste before January 1, 2008. To meet our future waste disposal needs, the Update departs from the philosophies of the original Plan. The original Plan called for the County to take all necessary steps to assure that future landfill capacity is available by developing a new landfill facility controlled by the County, and located within the County. The County formed a fifteen member Public Siting Advisory Committee, hired a professional consultant to work with the committee, and evaluated all of unincorporated Kane County for suitable landfill site locations. The findings of this effort were presented to the County Board in September, 1995. The Board resolved that Kane County will not pursue the acquisition of property, the development of, or siting approval for a new landfill in Kane County. As a result of the work conducted by this committee, the Plan Update does not support the development of new landfill capacity within unincorporated Kane County by any individual or organization. The Plan Update demonstrates adequate landfill capacity exists to meet our long-term disposal needs, and landfill tipping fees have become very competitive. This trend is projected to continue based on existing, permitted landfill capacity in Illinois, market conditions, and competition. In order to access this existing landfill capacity, a series of waste transfer stations, owned and operated by the private sector are proposed to be developed. Transfer stations consolidate waste from waste collection trucks to semi-truck loads for more efficient transport over long distances. With a network of transfer stations and continued competitive landfill pricing, waste disposal costs are projected to remain stable. vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND On November 10, 1992 Kane County adopted the Solid Waste Management Plan, prepared in compliance with the Illinois Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act (415 ILCS 15/1 et seq). The Planning and Recycling Act requires that, "each county waste management plan shall be updated and reviewed every five years, and any necessary or appropriate revisions shall be submitted to the (Illinois Environmental Protection) Agency for review and comment." This document, the Kane County Solid Waste Management Plan update (Update), has been