Agenda - Council - 10/25/1983 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I i I I I I I I I I 9 The review is done to ensure"the operation of the regional solid waste management system is not adversely affected by a local ordinance. How- ever, the Council should provide sample ordinances for local, regulation of solid waste disposal facilities. Following is a discussion of the potential impacts of landfills and resource recovery facilities on the host community. INCREASED TRUCK TRAFFIC AND ROAD MAINTENANCE Operating a sanitary landfill or resource recovery facility in a commu- nity will increase the number of trucks on the community's roads. If the road leading to a facility is a state, county or state-aid highway, the additional truck traffic would have a negligible impa~t on the local com- munity because it's a small percentage of all traffic on those routes. If all or a portion of the route iJ a municipal or township road, how- ever, the impact is much greater. Municipalities should not have to pay to upgrade roads for a facility that benefits the entire Region. The county or owner of the waste facility should assume responsibility for the immediate access roads to the waste facility, including the costs of upgr~dTng t6 the necessary weight limit. In addition, the county or waste facility owner should compensate the local unit of government for extraordinary road maintenance costs incident to facility use. These costs are those, over and above the normal construction or maintenance costs incurred by the local unit of government~ NUISANCE IMPACTS--NOISE, LITTER, RODENTS A certain amount of noise is associated with any sanitary landfill because of equipment and trucks entering and leaving the fill area. The noise impact is generally limited to the hours of operation and depends on the proximity of homes, schools, and other institutions adjacent to the facility or truck route. It also depends on the sensitivity of people adjacent to the noise source and the level of truck maintenance and upkeep. Noise from a landfill can be reduced by the design and size of the buffer zone. Similarly, noise at a resource recovery facility or transfer station will depend on the amount of truck traffic. Noise can be controlled by locat- ing the facility in an industrial area and away from noise-sensitive land uses. Furthermore, most resource recovery facilities, particularly waste- to-energy plants, are inside buildings, which reduces the noise impact on adjacent land uses. Scattering litter and debris or blowing sludge ash are associated with the day-to-day operation of a landfill. Scattering and blowing will be influenced by wind speed and direction, the amount of waste uncovered, the type of cover material and the local topography. It can be a problem along haul routes to all solid waste facilities if trucks are not properly closed or covered. The MPCA-requires commercial and industrial trucks carrying refuse to be covered.