South East Texas Regional Planning Commission Beaumont, Texas REGIONAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN AMENDMENT 2002-2022 Volume II Adopted by the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission Executive Committee in April, 2005 This plan was funded through a solid waste management grant provided by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) through the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission. This funding does not necessarily indicate TCEQ endorsement or support of this plan’s findings and recommendations. Southwest Texas State University San Marcos, Texas Geography Department, Solid Waste Management Planning Team TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................... VIII THE SOUTH EAST TEXAS REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION ........................... X SWT SOLID WASTE PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT TEAM ................................. X INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER ONE REGIONAL ANALYSIS OF DEMOGRAPHIC, ECONOMIC, AND LAND USE CHARACTERISTICS .......................................................................................... 4 POPULATION .......................................................................................................... 4 ECONOMY ............................................................................................................... 8 LAND USE ............................................................................................................... 11 SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS ........................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER TWO DESCRIPTION OF REGIONAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, FACILITIES, AND SERVICES ................................................................... 12 WASTE GENERATION ............................................................................................. 12 WASTE CHARACTERIZATION ................................................................................. 14 WASTE MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS .................................................................. 17 RULES, ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS ......................................................................................... 17 Federal Rules/Regulations/Agencies ........................................... 17 State Rules /Regulations/Agencies ............................................... 17 Regional Rules /Regulations/Agencies ........................................ 18 Local Rules /Regulations/Agencies .............................................. 18 WASTE TRANSFER, STORAGE, TREATMENT, AND PROCESSING ........................... 18 MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT ............................................................. 18 LIQUID WASTE MANAGEMENT .................................................................. 19 SETRPC Regional Solid Waste Management Plan Amendment -i- WASTE COLLECTION AND TRANSPORTATION ...................................................... 21 SOLID WASTE TRANSFER STATIONS – CITIZENS COLLECTION STATIONS ............................................................................. 22 WASTE DISPOSAL AND LANDFILL CAPACITY ........................................................ 23 RECYCLING AND WASTE REDUCTION ................................................................... 29 GREEN WASTE – CHIPPING, MULCHING, AND COMPOSTING ................... 30 COMBUSTION .............................................................................................. 30 CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION DEBRIS (C&D) .................................. 31 AUTOMOTIVE WASTES ............................................................................... 31 HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE (HHW) ........................................................... 32 LITTER AND ILLEGAL DUMPING ............................................................................ 33 CLOSED LANDFILL INVENTORY ............................................................................. 34 SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS ........................................................................................... 36 CHAPTER THREE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR MANAGING MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE IN THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGION .............................................. 37 ASSESSMENT OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT CONDITIONS AND NEEDS ........................................................................................ 37 CLOSED LANDFILL RISK ASSESSMENT .................................................................. 39 CHANGING PRIORITIES .......................................................................................... 42 SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS ........................................................................................... 44 CHAPTER FOUR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AMENDED REGIONAL PLAN ...................................... 45 REVISED GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND ACTION PLAN .............................................. 45 SETRPC SOLID WASTE GRANTS PROGRAM ........................................................ 49 SETRPC REGIONAL COORDINATION RESPONSIBILITIES ................................... 50 SETRPC Regional Solid Waste Management Plan Amendment -ii- REVIEW OF CONFORMANCE WITH REGIONAL PLAN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND GENERAL LAND USE COMPATIBILITY ..................................... 51 CONFORMANCE REVIEW FACTORS ........................................................... 51 CONFORMANCE REVIEW PROCEDURES ..................................................... 52 APPEAL PROCESS ....................................................................................... 52 SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS ........................................................................................... 53 APPENDIX A REVIEW OF EXISTING GOALS AND RECOMMENDED ACTIONS ............................. A1 APPENDIX B BACKGROUND ON THE ISSUE OF FACILITY SITING AND LAND USE COMPATIBILITY .............................................................................................. B1 APPENDIX C CLOSED LANDFILL RISK ASSESSMENT MAPS ....................................................... C1 APPENDIX D STATE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS AND CORRESPONDING AMENDED REGIONAL PLAN OBJECTIVES ............................................................. D1 SETRPC Regional Solid Waste Management Plan Amendment -iii- LIST OF TABLES CHAPTER ONE TABLE 1.1 SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGION POPULATION: 1970-2000 ................ 4 TABLE 1.2 SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGION POPULATION PROJECTIONS: 2000-2022 .............................................................. 5 TABLE 1.3 HOUSEHOLDS AND PERSONS PER HOUSEHOLD: 1990 AND 2000 ................................................................................ 6 TABLE 1.4 GROWTH IN INCORPORATED CITIES VERSUS RURAL AREAS: 1990 AND 2000 ...................................................... 7 TABLE 1.5 POPULATION CHANGE: CITIES VERSUS RURAL ............................ 7 TABLE 1.6 SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGION AND TEXAS EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRIAL CATEGORY: ACTUAL AND PROJECTED FOR 2008 ......................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER TWO TABLE 2.1 MSW DISPOSAL IN THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGION: 1991 AND 2000, AND THE STATE 2000 ........................................... 12 TABLE 2.2 RECYCLING RATE PROJECT FIGURES: 1998, TCEQ REGION 10 .......................................................................... 13 TABLE 2.3 PROJECTED MSW GENERATION IN THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGION, 2000-2022 ............................................................ 14 TABLE 2.4 DETAILED CHARACTERIZATION OF MSW DISPOSAL IN THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGION: 2000 .................................... 15 TABLE 2.5 ESTIMATED COMPONENTS OF DISPOSAL IN TEXAS MSW LANDFILLS ........................................................................... 16 TABLE 2.6 MEDICAL WASTE DISPOSAL IN THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGION ............................................................................... 19 TABLE 2.7 CITY SLUDGE TRANSPORTERS AS IDENTIFIED BY TCEQ: 2000 .............................................................................. 19 TABLE 2.8 PRIVATE TRANSPORTERS OF SLUDGE AND OTHER LIQUID WASTES, BY COUNTY AND TCEQ PERMIT NUMBER .................... 20 SETRPC Regional Solid Waste Management Plan Amendment -iv- TABLE 2.9 MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE COLLECTION IN THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGION ........................................................... 21 TABLE 2.10 RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE COLLECTION PRACTICES IN INCORPORATED COMMUNITIES: 1992 AND 2002 ...................... 22 TABLE 2.11 PROJECTED MSW LANDFILL DISPOSAL CAPACITY IN THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGION ............................................... 25 TABLE 2.12 FACILITY OPERATIONAL DATA FOR LANDFILLS SERVING THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGION: 2001 ......................... 25 TABLE 2.13 FACILITY SITE DATA FOR LANDFILLS SERVING THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGION: 2001 ........................................ 26 TABLE 2.14 COMPARATIVE DATA FROM LANDFILLS SERVING THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGION: 1991 AND 2000......................... 27 TABLE 2.15 AREA RECYCLING COMPANIES ..................................................... 29 TABLE 2.16 USED OIL HANDLERS: TCEQ REGION 10 ..................................... 31 TABLE 2.17 USED OIL FILTER HANDLERS: TCEQ REGION 10 ........................ 31 TABLE 2.18 HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION PROGRAMS IN THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGION ........................... 32 TABLE 2.19 TEXAS COUNTRY CLEAN-UPS .......................................................