Shaftsbury Solid Waste Committee
January 3, 2006, 7:30 p.m., Cole Hall
Present: Bill Pennebaker (Chair), Michael Biddy, Karen Mellinger,
Forrest Snyder
Absent: Trevor Mance and Christie Coleman
Bill called the meeting to order at 7:55 p.m.
The minutes of December 6, 2005 were distributed.
Karen is ill and could only attend momentarily. Forrest volunteered
to take minutes for this meeting.
Before leaving, Karen reported that the Select Board had given the
SWC the charge of determining the details of implementing a PAYT
system. She also noted that for the last two years, Shaftsbury's
solid waste volume has increased 13% each year and that recycling has
DECLINED.
A general discussion of how a PAYT system might work in Shaftsbury
took place. From previous research, Bill thought that 1500 - 1800
bags a week would be needed. As a starting point, 20% of those will
be assumed to be 13 gallon bags and the remainder, 30 or 33 gallon
bags. Forrest volunteered to research bag suppliers, bag types
(virgin or recycled plastics), bag thickness, package sizes, case
storage requirements, and printing. Michael pointed out that bags
would be considered currency and required a secure storage facility.
Bill said he'd work on a more accurate PAYT system cost/budget, given
end-user costs of $1.50 per 30 gallon bag and $1.00 per 13 gallon
bag. Michael volunteered to speak with local businesses that might be
interested in carrying the PAYT bags.
Forrest and Bill shared three articles about Single Stream recycling
with Michael. One early conclusion seems to be that broken glass
contaminates the sorting of single stream recycling. Thus, if it was
pursued, it might make sense to have a "Dual Stream" system where
glass went into one container and all other types of recycling went
into another. Bill noted that Casella's does do Single Stream
recycling for their commercial customers at the Sunderland Transfer
Station. The Committee discussed taking a site visit to the Single
Stream sorting facility in Rutland.
The closure of the Shaftsbury landfill continues to be a topic of
discussion at Select Board meetings. Bill reported that he'd been
following up with the latest survey's and information from the Select
Board with members of the State Solid Waste Division. The site survey
has been completed and the grades now rendered on the plan meet
specifications for slopes. Bill is satisfied with the "cap matching"
the existing covered refuse. A bid spec using a geo-synthetic membrane
is being developed. Bill has been reviewing documentation on
geo-synthetic membranes and thinks they can be "pretty good" IF they
are installed and monitored correctly. The big problem, he noted, is
water. Water allows either the membrane or the surrounding soils to
move, causing tears and failure. The key to preventing this type of
failure is good drains and drain maintenance. The system has to be
designed to withstand the worst case scenario, the "100 year rain."
Notably, the bid spec drawing and plans from the Town's consulting
engineers (KASS) only made one minor mention of drains. Bill has made
this bid spec oversight known to Aaron Chrostowsky.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:59 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Forrest Snyder