The DeKalb County Ad Hoc Solid Waste Committee met on Monday, 2007, @ 9:00a.m. in the Administration Building’s Conference Room East.  Chairman Ruth Anne Tobias called the meeting to order.  Members present were Ken Andersen, Vince Faivre, Pat Vary and Roger Steimel.  Staff present were Ray Bockman, Paul Miller, and Bob Drake.   Others present were Lee Adelman, Dale Hoekstra and Mayor Bob Seyller.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

            Moved by Ms. Vary, seconded by Mr. Andersen, and it was carried unanimously to approve the minutes of April 2007.

PRELIMINARY CONCEPTS BY WASTE MANAGEMENT   

            Mr. Lee Adelman of Waste Management, said that he wanted to come back to the committee with preliminary concepts to help the committee make a decision for the future.  Whatever they provide to the committee today are all rough estimates, he further explained. 

He said that DeKalb County has the smallest landfill that they operate.  There is an 80% penetration market here.  He feels that Rochelle will get their landfill expansion.  But if you read the article the other day they are attempting to get the City of Rochelle to reduce the conditions that were imposed upon them and the hearing.  Waste Management is very familiar with these types of conditions.

            As we move forward and the committee considers an application for the future, you have the right to impose some conditions and we have the right to say whether or not we can afford them, explained Mr. Adelman. 

            Mr. Adelman said that they are laying out a lot of information to the committee that they would otherwise keep until such time as the application was filed, but they felt in fairness to the committee, since it has gone the extra mile, that they owed the committee that much.  Later they will tell the committee about the possibility of options on other properties, too.

            They have prepared a couple of scenarios for the committee, said Mr. Adelman.  They will be concentrating on the existing site primarily today.  One of the areas that the committee is concerned about is the 11-acre piece on the site that is an unlined portion.  He wanted the committee to know that both of these scenarios both anticipate dealing with those 11-acres.  Their calculations on those 11-acres show about 1.44million cubic yards of material.  So they think that the committee is right to focus on that acreage.  They don’t have any obligation to do that, but they are offering that as part of either 2 scenarios that they are going to present to the committee today. 

One of the questions that have been asked is, how high is the sight right now?  Right now they are permitted for 945’ above sea level.  That is at peak elevation.  The scenarios that they are going to show today is to stay at that height and moving laterally south, east and possibly west.   Another scenario would be to go up another 40’ or so or up to 985’, said Mr. Adelman. 

They are asking for 2,000 tons a day and have the County lift the restrictions on this.  They looked at 1,000 tons a day, and with the cost to excavate the 11 acres @ 1.44 million cubic yards, he just couldn’t get the numbers to work   This would include the County’s 350 tons plus 650 tons in waste coming from outside of the County.

The first scenario (See Sheet Attached) is to come along the Somonauk Road and Gurler Road, which involves the Union Ditch.  They are not at 945 feet just yet, they are currently just shy of that number.   The cap on this site will be 3 feet at final closure time.

Mr. Miller asked if Waste Management needs to have on file a final disposition of topography, etc., of the landfill when it is closed?

Mr.  Adelman said yes, when it is closed.

Mr. Miller said, then you will need an amendment to that as well, with either scenario?

Mr. Adelman said yes.

Mr. Hoekstra said that this would have to go through the 172 process and file for an expansion.

Mr. Adelman said that there still remains a 2 to 3 step deal.  They have to get a host agreement in place first so that both sides know what they are voting on.  They cannot leverage the County during this process either.  They have to get through the 35 days after whatever decision you make on this, it is part of the appeal period.  That then starts another clock.  This is an 180-day process. From the day that he files, it starts a 6-month clock.  In 90 to 120 days the County has to call a public hearing on the application.  That will be at your discretion as to the when and where that hearing will be held. He further explained that there is a 30-day public comment period for those individuals that were not able to participate physically in the process.  Somewhere before that 180-days the County would need to make a decision on your own, said Mr. Adelman.  That then triggers the 35-day public appeal process.  If, in fact, it would go before the Illinois Pollution and Control Board, that’s another 120-days.  So again, 60-90 days another hearing would have to be held by the Illinois Pollution and Control Board and they would then have to render a decision within 120 days.   If we got through both of those procedures, Waste Management, Mr. Adelman further explained, would prepare the application for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency because the role in this is more on the technical aspects of the application.  That is, does the design merit their support?  Does it pass the models that are used throughout the industry to determine if the design meets all the criteria that they have for it?  Finally, that is supposed to be a 180-day clock.  If they don’t approve it within the 180 days – it will be deemed approved.  If at 5 months they send the County a letter and ask for various issues - that would start another clock.  This process could take anywhere from 9 to 15 months. 

Mr. Hoekstra said that one scenario is to leave the site at 945’ and the other is to increase the site to 985’.  In using the existing facility under Scenario I-A (Contours), they would patch work excavation and they would incur higher costs.  This is not a cheap solution because of the thickness of the liner. They would suggest a 60 mill on top of the old site and then place trash on top of that.  The landfill would go up about another 40’ or peak out at 985’, (please see drawing attached to these minutes).  They would run along Gurler Road, come East and cross over by Union Ditch.  Everything that they are suggesting is north of Union Ditch.  This is 7.5 million tons of air space (with this drawing) @ 2,000 tons a day equaling 13.3 years of life. 

This would be bumping the maximum height by 40’ above what’s currently permitted?  Asked Mr. Miller

Mr. Hoekstra said yes.

Scenario I-B is the excavation drawing, which shows the shell construction, the new area to be excavated.  The dash line shows up at the bottom of the drawing. The Western side shows a long sliver located over the top of the existing site of their facility. 

Mr. Hoekstra continued to explain that the current facility and all the new excavations right now - those cells are sloped to the West on the bottom.  The engineer that did the drawings said that they would have to look really hard at the ability to expand over their shop, relocate that entrance, and pick up the airspace on the sliver adjacent to their existing site because they have to deal with the leeche slope and get them up another 40’.  They don’t have that answer for the committee today.  The loss of that sliver amounts to 1.6 million tons or 3 years of life.  So now you are down to 10 years of life, said Mr. Hoekstra.

Mr. Steimel asked Mr. Hoekstra, how much of a setback will that be from Somonauk Road?

Mr. Hoekstra said about a couple of hundred feet. 

The second set of drawings (Scenario II-A and II-B) involve the existing site.  If it only remained at 945’ the County would have 4.5 million tons or roughly 8 years of life.  This is at 2,000 tons a day and this is with the sliver.  With going to 985’ with the sliver this would give the County 13 years.  It would be a 5-year gain, with an increase in height to 985’.

Mr. Steimel said currently we would have 3 years left at 1,000 tons a day right?

Mr. Hoekstra said yes.  With 350 tons a day, which is what you have currently, you would have 7 to 8 years left.  At 2,000 tons a day you would have 1 year left.

After further discussion Mr. Adelman said that what they really need from the committee is direction on what the County wants.  Do you want us to go east, purchase property for an expansion, or increase the height on the current site? 

Chairman Tobias reminded the committee that if the County decides to do nothing and leave it at 350 tons a day, the County would have 8 years left of the landfill.

Mr. Adelman explained to the committee that Waste Management Corporate Office wanted them to have an answer on what to do with this landfill last December.  He and Mr. Hoekstra appreciate the committee letting them come and attend these committee meetings and to participate in them.

Mr. Miller asked Mr. Adelman, what does Waste Management want from us?

Mr. Adelman said that they are looking at capacity, fluctuation on daily volume of 1,000 to 1,500/2,000 tons a day, and how much money is the County looking for?

They would like to come back and discuss with the County how much money it wants, said Mr. Adelman.

Mr. Faivre feels that at 2,000 tons a day, the committee is talking about a Mega Dump.  He feels that this community will not accept that.

Mr. Adelman then informed the committee that even though he is retiring this week, he would remain on this project as a consultant.  If the County would want to look at expanding the site east of the ditch, then it would open up a new scenario. 

Mr. Hoekstra said, that Waste Management is here to work with the committee on what you want to do regarding this issue.

The committee thanked Mr. Adelman and Mr. Hoekstra for their presentation.

After Mr. Hoekstra and Mr. Adelman left the committee discussed the various scenarios that were presented to them today by Waste Management.

Mr. Bockman informed the committee that the only time that the County could negotiate a Host Agreement with Waste Management would be prior to their filing.  You must complete those negotiations before they file an application.  Once they do file the County cannot have any contact with them.  Any Host Fee Agreement has to be finished and agreed to by the County and Waste Management prior to that filing.  What they want to know right now is if the County wants to entertain a Host Fee Agreement, explained Mr. Bockman.  What this committee can do at this point is decide, as a group, as to what you are willing to recommend and let them come back to you with the specific scenario.

The committee decided, after further discussion, that they want to negotiate a Host Fee Agreement with Waste Management and they want Waste Management to pay for it.  The committee wants the following criteria recommended to Waste Management:

-                     To see what an eastern expansion scenario looks like. 

-                     They want a 25-year landfill with 400,500 tons annually (1,500 tons per day x267 days average). 

-                     They also would like to see Waste Management look at the height of @ 945’ vs. 985’ on the eastern expansion and the difference it makes to them. 

-                     The committee directed Mr. Bockman and Chairman Tobias to present these recommendations in writing via letter to Waste Management.

-                     They want Waste Management’s response in writing too.

-                     The committee agreed that once Waste Management responds to the recommendations, they would then have to make contact with Patrick Engineering and invite them to their next meeting.

Mr. Miller said suggested that this committee could also direct Mr. Bockman to contact Patrick Engineering and ask if a transfer station would work here?  Mr. Faivre asked Mr. Bockman to please email Patrick’s response via email to the committee.

            After this all takes place Mr. Bockman and Chairman Tobias is to get in touch with the committee about setting the next meeting date.

ADJOURNMENT

Moved by Mr. Andersen, seconded by Ms. Vary, and it was carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting.

                                                            Respectfully submitted.

                                                            _______________________________  

                                                            Chairman Ruth Anne Tobias

RAT:mcs

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