HomeMy WebLinkAboutLandfill Gas to Energy ProgramTo: Board of County Commissioners
From: Timm Schimke
cc: Erik Kropp
Date: March 23, 2012
Re: Landfill Gas to Energy Project Update
Department of Solid Waste
61050 SE 27th Street • Bend, Oregon 97702
(541) 317-3163
FAX (541) 317-3959
I would like to update you on the status of the landfill gas to energy project
Contract Status: Several draft versions of a contract between Waste to Energy Group (WTEG)
and Deschutes County have been passed back and forth and we are close to agreement
on terms. County Counsel has not reviewed the document yet although I have
discussed the approach with him in the past. We have incorporated some provisions
based on concerns we have heard from citizens at recent public meetings. If the County
ultimately decides to move forward, we will need to complete the process required for a
special procurement. This includes generating findings to support the special
procurement and publishing a notice of our intent to contract directly with WTEG rather
than soliciting proposals. This begins a 14 day period for potential protests to be filed.
Permitting: We are nearing completion of an application for a Research, Development &
Demonstration (RD&D) permit to be submitted to the Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ). Two divisions of DEQ will consider our application (Air Quality and Solid
Waste) The main disposal permit for the landfill is in the process of being renewed, and
we expect the RD&D provisions to be incorporated into the renewal as opposed to a
separate permit. DEQ is supportive of the project to this point.
Public Outreach: The Department has held two public meetings on the project to date. WTEG
made a presentation of the proposed project, followed by a question and answer period.
The first meeting was intended for neighbors of the landfill. Invitations were sent to
about 50 residences around the landfill. Only one neighbor, Mr. David Poboisk,
attended the meeting. We had a couple of other stakeholders attend as well (a CEC
manager, and a couple representatives from vendors we work with). As you know, Mr.
Poboisk continues to express concerns about the project. I am sure he has discussed
Quality Services Performed with Pride
his concerns with his neighbors.
Another set of about 50 invitations went out to the environmental and business
development community for the second meeting. About a dozen people attended that
meeting. It appeared that the proposed project was fairly well received. There was also
some discussion more general in nature about solid waste management in the future.
Following our meetings, Mr. Poboisk organized two meetings as well. A gentleman from
the Energy Justice Network made a presentation about landfills in general and landfill
gas to energy projects. The Energy Justice Network is a not-for-profit environmental
advocacy organization based in Pennsylvania. I attended one of the meetings which
had less than a dozen participants, and I understand the other meeting had a better turn
out.
I thought the meetings were beneficial and allowed us to better understand the concerns
that were expressed. We have taken that information and are taking steps to alter the
project to best address the concerns. We intend to clearly show that we are not
negatively impacting groundwater or air quality through continual monitoring of both of
these areas of concern.
Next Steps: Since the County has not held a publicly noticed meeting on the project, and
recognizing the concerns that have been expressed, I am recommending that we hold
one more meeting to gather input from the community, and assess the need for further
outreach after that. All participants at the meetings that were held were informed of the
fact that there will also be an opportunity to give input both through the DEQ permit
renewal process, and when the BOCC considers signature of the contract.