Agenda - Council - 09/13/1982 - Special

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I I I ! I I I I I I I I I I I I 25 ODORS Odors from a sanitary landfill cannot be completely mitigated and as such are a cost that is borne directly by the residents adjacent to the site. However, this impact, like that of increased truck traffic, is difficult to quantify, That fact makes it difficult to determine who should be compensated and how much they should be paid. One possible method is to compensate any resident within a particular radius of the waste disposal facility. More compensation would be paid to those residents nearest the facility or downwind from it. But there are inherent problems in defining the radius or what is downwind. Some mechanism or procedure is needed to resolve such problems. LOSS OF TAXES When land is to be used for a publicly owned sanitary landfill, a community is likely to lose the property taxes to be paid if the land were used for differ- ent purposes. This constitutes an unfair cost to the community. Privately owned facilities pay taxes based upon the rate commercial property is taxed in that community. There could be an increase in tax revenues when a facility is located on a vacant parcel or one previously used for farming. In cases where landfills are publicly owned, it may be appropriate to compensate the local unit of government or special taxing district for tax revenues lost. The facil- ity could be assesed or taxed as if it were a private facility, with revenues raised from a fee or charge on the waste entering the landfill. Loss of tax revenues may occur once a landfill is sited by decreasing the incentive for residential or commercial development in the community. However, once the landfill is closed, commercial or residential development may be spurred if the landfill is used for a developer's open space or park requirements. LOSS OF FARMLAND In some areas, farmland may be lost when a landfill site is selected. Such land cannot be farmed until the fill area is replanted with vegetation, and even then deep-rooted crops could not be planted. The loss of several farms can affect the local economy--local merchants will lose potential customers. What is the magnitude of this economic loss and is compensation appropriate? INTANGIBLE IMPACTS COMMUNITY STIGMA In the perception of its residents and others, a community may become a less desirable place to live because it has a landfill, but it would be difficult to measure the social or psychological burden borne by the members of community. In addition, the impact may affect different people to a different degree. If so, should only those feeling such a stigma be compensated or should the community as a whole? One possible form of compensation is to give the host community a lump-sum cash payment as a bonus or goodwill offering. However, the amount and appopriate recipients of the cash payment may be difficult to determine. Though some people believe a landfill will impose uncompensable costs, it is standard practice to provide monetary compensation for a wide variety of social costs.