Johnson County Environmental Department

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Johnson County EnvironmentalDepartment

• Overview of Solid Waste Program
• For League of Women Voters February 4, 2006

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The Environmental Department has its roots in
solid waste!
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The beginnings.

• In the late 1970s, issues arose with the disposal
  of aluminum slag waste from the SG Metal Company
  at the Johnson County Landfill, Inc.
• The company had illegally disposed of this waste
  in numerous locations in Wyandotte County.
• Newspaper articles indicated the material was
  hazardous waste.

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Next thing the county heard was

• The waste needed to be cleaned up and it could go
  to the Johnson County Landfill.
• The county objected. It was then determined that
  KDHE and EPA had concluded the material was not
  hazardous waste, so it could go to a municipal
  solid waste landfill.

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However, the situation caused

• Great concern on the part of Johnson County
  officials concerning regulation of the Landfill
  and a desire to have more local regulatory
  control.
• Through negotiations, the Kansas Department of
  Health and Environment (KDHE) agreed to delegate
  various solid waste responsibilities to Johnson
  County.

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The Environmental Department was

• Officially formed in January, 1982.
• Some of the lab staff within the Wastewater
  Department were assigned to the new department.
• Up until 1987, staff wore two hats.
• Lab Division of Wastewater and Environmental
  Department
• In 1987, a separate department was created.

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The new department was/is made up of

• 3 divisions from 3 departments
• Pollution Control Division which was the staff
  from the prior Environmental Department
• Sanitation Division from the Health Department
• Laboratory Division from the Wastewater Department

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Sotrash was indeed theimpetus to form
anEnvironmental Department J

• The Department has grown to include almost all
  aspects of environmental regulatory work.
• Protecting You and Your Environment since 1982!

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Major Program Components

• Solid Waste Management Program
• Household Hazardous Materials Program

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Household Hazardous Materials Program

• Since 1993, provide alternative to landfill
  disposal and sewer disposal of unwanted household
  chemicals.
• The LOWV was involved in our early days and
  provided important volunteer support. THANKS!

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But, thats a story for another day!
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Solid Waste Program
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Permitting landfills
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1 Johnson County Landfill, Inc. 2 City of
Overland Park C/D Landfill 3 City of Lenexa SW
Transfer Station 4 City of DeSoto Tree and Brush
Burning Site 5 City of Olathe Compost Site 6 City
of Olathe C/D Landfill 7 City of Olathe Solid
Waste Transfer Station 8 ODonnel Sons C/D
Landfill 9 Asphalt Sales C/D Landfill 10 Holland
Corp. C/D Landfill 11 APAC-Reno C/D Landfill
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Monitoring Landfills
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Inspecting Landfills
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Illegal Dumping Investigation
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as well as

• Special waste disposal permitting at the Johnson
  County Landfill.
• Issue about 400 each year, primarily from
  industrial waste, and contaminated soils clean
  up.

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and finally, Solid Waste Management Planning

• Environmental provides the staff support to the
  Countys Solid Waste Management Committee which
  is responsible for the Solid Waste Management
  Plan.

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Solid Waste Management Plan

• (a) Each county of this state, or a designated
  city, shall submit to the secretary a workable
  plan for the management of solid waste in such
  county.
• Our first one was adopted in 1972.

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Board of County Commissioners is held accountable
for the SWMP

• The plan developed by each county or designated
  city shall be adopted by the governing body of
  such county or designated city if so authorized.

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Solid Waste Management Committeeadvisory
committee to BOCC-currently meets quarterly

• , not to exceed
• five members representing any cities of the first
  class
• three members representing any cities of the
  second class
• and one member representing any
• cities of the third class and

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Solid Waste Management Committee members, cont

• (2) one representative of unincorporated areas
• of the county or counties
• (3) representatives of the general public,
• citizen organizations, private industry, any
  private
• solid waste management industry operating in the
• county or counties and any private recycling or
• scrap material processing industry operating in
  the
• county or counties
• (4) the recycling coordinator, if any, of the
• county or counties and
• (5) any other persons deemed appropriate by
• the county,

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Key to the Plan is to assure

• Proper storage, handling and disposal of all
  solid wastes generated in the County for at least
  10 years out.

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Plan is to be reviewed

• On an annual basis
• And every five years for major revisions, as
  needed.
• We are just beginning to work on the first major
  revision since 1995. Cindy Kemper will expand on
  this area.

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SWMC Meeting Schedule for 2006

• January 11, 2006
• April 12, 2006
• June 14, 2006
• August 9, 2006
• October 11, 2006
• December 13, 2006

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The solid waste world has changed greatly since
1972

• Subtitle D changes in 1991 to the Resource
  Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) became
  effective in1993.
• Provided for nation-wide standards for landfill
  design and operation.

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Johnson County Landfill Meeting Activities

• KDHE and JCED have been meeting with JCL staff on
  nearly a monthly basis since February 1993 to
  assure open communication between all and provide
  for a forum to discuss all landfill issues.
• KDHE and JCED work closely on the review of all
  reports, drawings, and documents required under
  Subtitle D and compliance issues associated with
  the JCL.

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The first area at the JCL to be designed,
constructed and operated per Subtitle D
regulations was

• Phase 3 and this area opened up for disposal
  operations in November, 1995.
• Phase 1, 2, and 4 were constructed many years
  prior to the 1991 Subtitle D regulation
  revisions.

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Increased monitoring activities

• Subtitle D also resulted in a significant
  increase in the number of groundwater wells and
  monitoring activities at the JCL.
• Subtitle D also resulted in monitoring of
  landfill gas emissions around the perimeter of
  the landfill and inside any buildings at the
  landfill.

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In addition, the Clean Air Act regulations also
affect gas emissions from landfills. The JCL is
inspected by the JCED air quality staff for
compliance with the Clean Air Act.
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Because of the volume and quality of gas
production at the landfill, the use of the gas as
an energy source was secured by a separate
contractor, and an extensive gas collection
system was installed and operational by the end
of 1998. The landfill gas is collected, treated,
and piped to a gas pipeline system located about
one mile to the northwest of the landfill.
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And perhaps the most significant change.

• The expected closing of the Johnson County
  Landfill, Inc. by 2027 which has served the
  metropolitan area since the 1950s.
• No new municipal solid waste landfills are
  currently being planned in the metropolitan area.

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Until thenwe will continue with..

• By continuing to PROTECT YOU AND YOUR ENVIRONMENT
• With our regulatory duties for permitting,
  inspecting, and monitoring landfills and
• Working on a major revision of the Countys Solid
  Waste Management Plan
• Now, Phil Askey will do a presentation on the
  Johnson County Landfill