Larimer County Solid Waste Department - About Larimer County

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Waste Waste Transfer Transfer Stations Stations The Solid Waste Department manages three rural transfer stations, one each in Wellington, Berthoud and Red Feather Lakes. A fourth transfer station in Estes Park is owned by the department but operated by Waste Management, Inc. (See bottom of page for information specific to the Estes Park Transfer Station.) Each transfer station has its own days and hours of operation, usually just one or two days a week, with fewer hours in the winter. Transfer stations make it easier for residents in these rural areas to dispose of household wastes. The wastes collected are periodically transported to the Larimer County Landfill. In June 2004, the Red Feather transfer station closed when the U.S. Forest Service, from which the land was leased, chose not to renew the lease. We are currently trying to build a partnership with another government agency to bring a transfer station back to the community. Any new transfer station will be modernized with a compactor and electricity. Compactors are beneficial because they keep the trash in a covered container and reduce the likelihood of wind-blown trash. They also keep wildlife from getting into the trash. Berthoud and Wellington already have compactors (placed in 2001). 7 No. of Customers 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 The transfer stations, funded by user fees, are not self-supporting and are subsidized by landfill user fees when necessary. In 2004, the landfill subsidized the transfer stations more than $28,000, or 71 percent of total expenses. Customers Served 1459 1453 Wellington Berthoud Red Feather* Shown above is the number of customers served in 2004 at the transfer stations. The numbers are similar to those from 2003. * The Red Feather transfer station closed in June. The Estes Park Transfer Station, in operation since 1983, is managed by Waste Management, Inc. Estes Park residents and visitors can take household trash as well as recyclables and some hazardous wastes to the transfer station. In 2004, the Estes Park Transfer Station collected and transferred to the Larimer County Landfill nearly 60,000 cubic yards of waste, or 662 tractortrailer loads. The Solid Waste Department values customer input and truly listens to what customers want. Two customer surveys were completed in 2004 regarding the Wellington and Berthoud transfer stations. The first survey asked Wellington customers if the Wellington transfer station should remain open Wednesdays during the summer as it has been. Their overwhelming response was yes, and as a result we will continue in 2005 with the same operating schedule as in previ- 323 ous years. The second survey asked the customers of both transfer stations if our fees should be based on the volume of trash contained in a vehicle or if they should continue to be based on vehicle type. The survey was conducted in conjunction with a similar one for landfill customers. Customers of both transfer stations as well as the landfill chose to change the way we charge and start using a volume-based method. (The Estes Park transfer station already charges this way so no change was necessary there.) The survey results were brought before a public hearing in December, and the county commissioners approved the change.
The Solid Waste Department strives to minimize the landfill’s environmental impact and protect the health and safety of our customers, employees and neighbors. We must also control pollution and comply with state and federal environmental regulations to operate as a “sanitary landfill.” To ensure that our facilities are in compliance is the job of the department’s environmental scientist, Steve Harem. Gases produced by decomposing waste are always a concern at a landfill. With high concentrations of methane, landfill gas poses the risk of fire or explosion and is a source of air pollution and odors. Gas can migrate to neighboring properties if not properly vented at the landfill, so gas concentrations are monitored regularly to ensure that methane does not cross the property line. In 2004, two new gas monitoring probes were installed along the north property boundary. As a source of air pollution, landfill gas emissions are regulated by the Clean Air Act because the gas contains volatile organic compounds like benzene and toluene, which create smog and can cause health problems. We monitor the chemistry and volume of gases produced by the landfill and report annual emissions to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 2004, we conducted a Tier 2 landfill gas evaluation—an extensive gas sampling and analysis effort—and concluded that the landfill’s emissions are well below regulatory limits. This means that Environmental Environmental Compliance Compliance an expensive gas collection and control system will not be necessary for at least another five years. Surface water pollution prevention is another aspect of environmental compliance. Since sediment in stormwater runoff can impact local surface waters, soil erosion is a major concern at the landfill. Various operation, construction and monitoring activities are conducted to control erosion. Most significant in 2004 was the closure of the Phase 3 area (see map, page 1), with construction of drainage ditches and pipes designed to carry runoff water to the Fossil Creek stream channel. The entire 14-acre area was revegetated with grasses to hold the soil and prevent erosion, especially on the steep outer slopes. The county’s engineering department provided construction management, on-site inspection and surveying services for the project. Solid Waste personnel periodically inspect the landfill facility to identify and correct erosion problems. Fuel, oil and other liquids stored and used on site can also potentially pollute the local surface waters. To prevent spills of hazardous materials from storage tanks or other facilities, we conduct staff training and regularly inspect and maintain storage facilities and equipment. No spills occurred in 2004. Groundwater sampling is conducted quarterly to monitor the landfill’s impact. Hazardous chemicals in buried trash may leach from the landfill and pollute local groundwater. Our House- hold Hazardous Waste Program helps prevent groundwater pollution by keeping hazardous materials out of the trash. In the areas south and east of the landfill, 2004 monitoring continued to show no impact from the landfill. In the area northeast of the landfill, where minor contamination has existed for several years, we closely monitor the extent and severity of contamination. Routine monitoring in 2004 confirmed that the contamination is not spreading, and pollutant concentrations have decreased slightly. More extensive chemical analyses conducted in October detected no new pollutants in the affected water. The Phase 3 closure should further improve water quality in the future. Trash in Phase 3 is now covered with more than four feet of soil, including an 18-inch layer of densely compacted clay, which will prevent rain and snowmelt from seeping through the buried waste and carrying contaminants into the groundwater. Environmental Highlights • Inspections by the Air Pollution Control Division and the Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment found the landfill in compliance with no violations. • Closure of the Phase 3 area was completed in June with the construction of a final cover and drainage facilities, and then revegetation of the area. 8
Page 1 and 2: Larimer County Solid Waste Departme
Page 3 and 4: Contents Landfill .................
Page 5 and 6: A survey of landfill and transfer s
Page 7 and 8: Tons Processed 30,000 25,000 20,000
Page 9: Pounds 2,000,000 1,800,000 1,600,00
Page 13 and 14: In December 2004, the county forest
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Larimer County Solid Waste Department - About Larimer County

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