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

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14 I I I I I I I I I I I I I i Odors at a compost facility can be controlled. Some small compost facil- ities are enclosed or operated in an enclosed reactor. Most compost facilities, however,' are operated by windrow or static pile methods. Odors are controlled by ensuring the piles or windrows are sufficiently aerated. In some instances, blowers pull air through the compost pile. .The air is put through a cured compost pile, which absorbs the odors. Furthermore, a buffer zone should surround a compost facility or the facility should be located away from residential areas or institutions. In densely populated urban areas where Several hundred tons of sewage sludge and solid waste may be composted, odors are potentially even a greater problem. An alternative method for odor control at these facili- ties is complete enclosure of the compost process within a building. Generally the building is operated at less than atmospheric pressure so that odors do not escape. Odors can be a problem at transfer stations too. Some methods to control odors at these facilities are to move the solid waste through the facil- ity quickly, do not permit overnight storage of solid waste, clean fre- quently and enclose the station completely within a building. DECREASE IN POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT/PROPERTY VALUE band once used for a landfill can be subsequently used in only a limited number of ways after the facility is closed. This may diminish the mar- ket value or development potential of the property and reduce property tax revenues. A community can reduce this impact by proposing or desig- nating an end use to the land before the landfill is designed and con- structed. An end-use plan would aid in defining land uses adjacent to the site. If the site were reclaimed into a recreational area (more likely) or an industrial park (less likely) the value of surrounding prop- erties may increase, thereby offsetting some of the property tax loss. In many cases, the metropolitan counties have selected candidate landfill sites in commercial agriculture areas or areas that are underdeveloped or little'used. There, potential development impacts are not serious. How- ever, sites that have been selected in commercial-or industrial-zoned land pose serious financial impacts to the local community. The impacts may be greater than those involving sites in agricultural areas. For residents around landfills, the question is, what impacts will they suffer as a result of the landfill being located there? First, the miti- gation techniques outlined in this report can reduce most of the impacts upon the community and adjacent residents. Other problems, such as con- tamination of well water, have been evaluated and recommendations for action are being made to the Legislature for resolving these situations. What then, are the impacts that could affect adjacent residents or devel- opers that would deserve compensation? I I I Nuisances like noise and dust should be mitigated by the buffer zone. The buffer zone is crucial for shielding the community and adjacent resi- dents from them. In addition, the shielding effect of the buffer zone should protect the adjacent property from a potential decrease in market value. What remains is the perception of how the landfill affects the property and its market value.