Agenda - Council - 01/13/1981 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. . - 2 - f!!TERIA FOR SELECTION OF SLUDGE AND ~QLIQ._~ASTE DISfOSAL S!TES 1. INTRODUCTION ------- The 1980 state Waste Management Act requires the Metropolitan Council to choose at least six "candidate" sites by July 1, 1981 for land disposal of sludge and solid waste from wastewater treat- ment plants owned and operated by the MWCC. At least three sites will be selected for land spreading sludge and at least three sites for landfilling solid waste. An EIS will be prepared by the Council on each candidate site. After the EISs are completed, the Council must select for aquisition and development by the MWCC at least one site each for sludge and solid waste disposal. One site will be used to landfill solid waste, which includes grit, screenings and incinerator ash. The other site will be used to landspread sludge, either at "agro- nomic rates" or in concentrations much higher than normal agronomic rates. It is estimated about 1,000 acres may be needed for landspreading of sludge and 300-to-500 acres for landfilling ash, grit and screening. The Act does not preclude the MWCC from continuing their existing programs which include disposal of solid waste at local sanitary landfills and landspreading of slUdge on private farmland. The purpose of this report is to present the criteria the Council is proposing to use to select candidate sites. The criteria will be used to select the most enVironmentally suitable sites for slUdge and solid waste disposal. The Waste Management Act speCifically states that no land shall be excluded from consideration as a candidate site except those determined by the MPCA to be intrinsically unsuitable. The MPCA will define "intrinsically unsuitable" when it promulgates rules and standards for disposal of slUdge on land. The MPCA has proposed temporary rules for disposal of sewage sludge on land. Some of these temporary rules have been used as criteria. If the termporary rules are changed, the criteria will be adjusted to reflect those changes. The Council's initial screening process will be based solely on environmental considerations. Once important environmental criteria are met, the Council will evaluate the site based on additional criteria as required by state law, inClUding the following: 1) Local land use and controls; 2) Protection of agricultural and natural resources; 3) Existing and future development patterns; 4) Transportation facilities; 5) Distance from points of generation; and 6) Intrinsic suitability of sites compared with other potential site s .