|
|
|
Site Assignment Application Filed September 1, 2004
SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION INFORMATION BWP SW 1 - TRANSMITTAL W049793 SITE SUITABILITY REPORT FOR A NEW SITE ASSIGNMENT
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Abington Transfer Station, LLC (ATS) submits this application for Site Suitability for a New Site Assignment for the proposed construction and operation of a solid waste transfer station at 1477 Bedford Street in Abington, Massachusetts. This project was previously determined suitable by the Department and was site assigned by the Abington Board of Health as an 1,800 ton per day solid waste handling facility that was to accept municipal solid waste (MSW) and construction & demolition (C & D) debris. On August 16, 2001, the Abington Board of Health, due to public opposition, rescinded the site assignment issued by the Department. This Application is being filed in accordance with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP or the Deparment) Site Assignment Regulations, codified at 310 CMR 16.00. These regulations require that an application for Site Suitability for a New Site Assignment (BWP SW 01) be filed when a proponent proposes to construct and operate a waste handling and/or processing facility. The proposed change from the previous site assignment will be to reduce the permitted capacity to 600 tons per day, an approximate 67% reduction in capacity, and to accept only C & D debris.
.1 Site Description
The site is located on the east side of Bedford Street (also known as Route 18) in North Abington, Massachusetts, as shown on the Locus Plan in Attachment 2. It is about one-quarter mile south of the Weymouth town line. The area surrounding the site is comprised of various commercial, industrial and retail businesses. The property is located in an area that was formerly zoned Light Industrial by the Abington Zoning By-Laws. During the period when the previous site assignment was being opposed, the site’s zoning was changed to Highway Technology. Despite the zoning change, use of the land subject to this Site Assignment Application as a solid waste handling facility is allowed as a matter of right under Chapter 584 of the Acts of 1986. That statute provides that a solid waste facility, as defined by MGL c. 111, s. 150A, must be permitted under local zoning on any parcel zoned industrial as of July 1, 1987. The site was zoned industrial as of that date and consequently the protections afforded by Chapter 584 apply.
Immediately abutting properties include a plumbing supply warehouse and school bus parking lot to the south, retail establishments to the north and the west (across Route 18) and vacant land to the east of the site on the Brendan Realty Trust (BRT) property. Other property uses in the vicinity of the site include two large trucking terminals (to the north and south of ATS along Route 18) and a precast concrete plant to the west of the BRT property along Route 58. The facility is to be located on a site that consists of 6.9 acres, of which 4.4 acres were issued a site assignment in 1992. The 2.5 acres of the site that was not included in the original site assignment is a parcel of land that was conveyed from the adjacent BRT site to the ATS site. This site assignment application includes the 2.5 acres to make the proposed site assignment area the entire 6.9 acres of the property. See the Locus Plan and the Existing Conditions Plan in Attachment 2. The primary vehicle access to the site is from Route 18 at the southern end of the eastern sideline. Entering from the Route 18 access, the existing office building and maintenance garage (constructed by a previous owner) are on the left, or north side of the property. An area to the west side of the building is paved for parking and an area to the south of the building has been paved to provide access to the maintenance garage. The paved area to the south of the building can also be used to park vehicles. A paved driveway, along the south property line, allows vehicle movement between the two parking areas and access to and from Route 18. The driveway is approximately twenty five feet wide.
The site is slightly higher than the surrounding properties. The elevation near the west property line, adjacent to Route 18, and the area around the existing building is approximately 180 feet above mean sea level. The ground surface slopes downward from the building, toward the eastern limit of the formerly site assigned area, where the ground elevation is approximately 165 feet above mean sea level. The land continues to slope downward to an elevation of about 155 feet at the wetlands along the eastern property line.
The existing building occupies approximately 7,800 square feet of the site. This building contains a two-story office area and a five-bay vehicle maintenance area. The site had been operated by Suburban Disposal, Inc. as an administrative and vehicle storage and maintenance facility for a solid waste hauling company. Atlantic North Waste Services currently conducts the same operations on the site. The site is serviced by public water and sewer.
The control of storm water in the western portion of the site is accomplished by two bituminous-concrete swales located at the driveway entrance, which capture run-off and divert it to an existing drain pipe. The drain pipe is located in an easement along the southern boundary and discharges through a head wall near the east property line of the site. Runoff from the eastern two thirds of the property is uncontrolled and flows overland to the east and the wetlands that are along that side of the site. A two stage stormwater detention basin has been constructed along the eastern boundary of the site in accordance with an Order of Conditions issued by the Abington Conservation Commission. There are no runoff flows currently diverted to this basin since the stormwater collection system that is to be a part of the proposed facility has not yet been constructed.
1.2 Site History
The original project involved the construction of a solid waste transfer station and recycling facility at the site of the former Suburban Disposal Company’s office and maintenance facility at 1477 Bedford Street in Abington. The proposed project was originally planned to be a 250 ton per day (tpd) facility constructed adjacent to the existing office and maintenance building. Construction at the site was to include a building addition to house the recycling and transfer station operations, and associated site work to properly handle stormwater runoff, potential leachate generation, internal vehicle traffic and improvements to the access to Bedford Street (Route 18).
An Environmental Notification Form (ENF) was submitted to the MEPA Unit in accordance with 310 CMR 11.00 on April 30, 1991. The Secretary of Environmental Affairs issued a Certificate on June 7, 1991, stating that no further MEPA review was required. On January 6, 1992, Suburban Disposal submitted an NPC for a proposed increase in tonnage from 250 tpd to 280 tpd. The Secretary of Environmental Affairs issued a Certificate on January 16, 1992, which determined that no further MEPA review was required.
Before submitting its Notice of Project Change, Suburban Disposal filed a site assignment application, dated October 28, 1991, to the DEP and to the Abington Board of Health. On May 11, 1992, the DEP issued a Report on Site Suitability, in which it determined that the site was suitable for the proposed development of a solid waste transfer and recycling facility. The Abington Board of Health subsequently issued a site assignment of the facility after conducting a public hearing.
Suburban Disposal submitted an Application for Authorization to Construct the proposed facility to DEP on July 16, 1993. It included an Operations Plan and drawings of sufficient detail for regulatory review. The DEP issued a Draft Permit for Authorization to Construct the proposed Facility on July 22, 1994. No further action was taken to finalize the permit process because Browning-Ferris Industries, Inc. (BFI) acquired Suburban Disposal in late 1993 and decided to take no further action.
In April of 1998, BFI sold the Facility and all its interest in it to ATS, which reactivated the permitting process. On May 27, 1998 ATS submitted an NPC. It was required because ATS proposed an increase in the capacity of the facility to handle up to 1,800 tons per day of solid waste. ATS made subsequent submissions to MEPA, including a new traffic study, to respond to questions that arose during the public review period, dealing primarily with traffic, noise and nuisance impacts potentially resulting from the proposed expansion. On September 9, 1998 the Secretary issued a Certificate on the NPC that determined that no further MEPA study of the project was required.
ATS submitted an application dated November 2, 1998 for a modified site assignment to DEP, the Abington and Weymouth Boards of Health and to the Department of Public Health in accordance with the Site Assignment Regulations, 310 CMR 16.00. Such an application is required when a proponent proposes to Expand a Site as that term is defined at 310 CMR 16.08(1). DEP issued a positive Site Suitability Report on January 15, 1999. The Abington Board of Health held a duly-advertised site assignment hearing on February 11, 1999. It issued a modified site assignment on April 5, 1999. There were no appeals.
On June 8, 1999 ATS filed a Notice of Intent (NOI) with the Abington Conservation Commission for work within the 100 foot buffer zone of Bordering Vegetated Wetlands (BVW). The work was limited to construction of a portion of an access road and stormwater controls, required to meet DEP Best Management Practices (BMPs). On August 18, 1999 the Commission issued an Order of Conditions to ATS, which was subsequently recorded in the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds. ATS submitted an Application for an Authorization to Construct a solid waste handling facility to DEP on June 15, 1999. On October 14, 1999, DEP issued a Draft Permit Decision for the Authorization To Construct. ATS subsequently conducted the required abutter notifications and published the required public notice on October 26, 1999 in the Patriot Ledger, which initiated a 30-day public comment period. Following the completion of the public comment period and a time extension during which ATS prepared and MEPA reviewed a Single Environmental Impact Report (SEIR), DEP issued a Final Permit for Authorization to Construct the proposed facility on September 15, 2000.
On November 30, 1999 ATS submitted another NPC. It was primarily required by MEPA’s determination that the development of the ATS and BRT sites potentially represented a single “project”, as defined by MEPA, that might cause cumulative impacts that were different from the project previously considered by MEPA. At this time opposition to the project began to develop. While it was generally acknowledged that ATS and BRT had followed all necessary regulatory requirements including public notification criteria, there was a demand that the public should again have the opportunity to review and comment on the project, even though the numerous, previous opportunities had not been used in accordance with the applicable regulations. The MEPA Unit conducted an informational meeting on December 15, 1999 to seek public input on the project. Based upon comments made at the December 15 meeting and subsequent written comments submitted to MEPA the Secretary determined that a SEIR was required for the project. In his January 7, 2000 Certificate, the Secretary issued a specific scope for the EIR. In accordance with that Certificate, ATS prepared an SEIR, and distributed copies in accordance with the Secretary’s directions. Following MEPA review of the SEIR, the Secretary issued a Certificate on July 31, 2000, determining that the SEIR “adequately and properly complies” with the MEPA regulations and his prior Certificate. With this Certificate, DEP was able to finalize the ATC, as described above.
About the time (October 1999) that DEP issued its Draft ATC, public opposition to the project began to increase. One result of this public opposition was the MEPA requirement to prepare the SEIR, as described above. Another result is that the Board of Health that had modified the site assignment was recalled during the spring of 2000 and replaced by five new Board of Health members. On July 10, 2000 the new Board of Health voted to call a site assignment hearing to consider rescission, suspension or modification of the site assignment. The hearing was conducted in 29 sessions that began on August 16, 2000 and concluded on April 4, 2001. The Board issued a “Decision and Statement of Reasons” on August 16, 2001, which rescinded the site assignment. The appeal by ATS of the decision is pending. This Application is without prejudice to that appeal. ATS reserves the right to proceed with the project as originally proposed should it prevail in the appeal.
On December 31, 2003 ATS submitted another NPC. This project change reduced the proposed tonnage of the facility to 600 tons per day and limited the waste stream to C&D materials. On February 23, 2004, the Secretary issued a Certificate on the NPC that determined that no further MEPA study of the project was required.
2.0 FACILITY INFORMATION
The sections below provide the supplemental information requested on the DEP permit application form BWP SW 1 -Site Suitability for a New Site Assignment in the sequence presented on the form. The application forms are in the beginning of this Application. A more detailed response to sections which are applicable to the requested suitability determination and which require greater description than is allowed by the forms, are made in these sections.
SECTION I. GENERAL INFORMATION
A. Site Location & Project Description
6. Capacity and expected life of proposed facility
b. The estimated average daily capacity is assumed to be 450 tons per day for the ATS facility. The estimated rates for average daily capacity are based on observed typical fluctuations in daily and seasonal waste generation rates.
c. The ATS facility will operate five and one half (5.5) days per week, from Monday through Saturday morning. Based upon a maximum daily capacity of 600 tons per day and a 5.5 day operating week, the annual capacity of the ATS facility will be 171,600 tons per year.
8. Project Description
The site is located at 1477 Bedford Street (Route 18) in Abington, Massachusetts. The site presently consists of 6.9 acres, within which 4.4 acres were issued a site assignment in 1992 by the Abington Board of Health. Prior to any solid waste handling operations being conducted on the site, the Abington Board of Health rescinded the site assignment on August 16, 2001. The 2.5 acres of the site that was not included in the original site assignment is a parcel of land that was conveyed from the adjacent BRT property to the site. This site assignment application includes the 2.5 acres to make the proposed site assignment area the entire 6.9 acres of the property. See the Locus Plan and the Existing Conditions Plan in Attachment 2. The site has been mostly cleared of vegetation and developed with a building and paved area. The existing building occupies approximately 7,800 square feet. The building and property is currently used for the operation of a solid waste hauling company, Atlantic North Waste Systems. The office is used for administration and the garage is used for vehicle maintenance. One of the previous owners of the property, Suburban Disposal, Inc., also operated a solid waste hauling company from this site using the site in the same manner as it is currently used.
The proposed facility will accept only C&D materials. Waste will be delivered in roll-off trucks. ATS will not allow packer trucks or pickup trucks to use the facility. Each load of incoming waste will be thoroughly inspected to ensure that improper, hazardous or banned waste materials do not enter the processing building. C&D material will be handled initially by sorting out large items of wood, metal or other materials. These sorted materials will be placed in roll-off containers for disposal at processing facilities. The remainder of the C&D materials will be placed in open top trailers for transport to C&D material handling facilities or to landfills. The presorted recyclables will be placed in separate containers for each material type and then transported to recycling facilities for subsequent processing. All waste handling operations will be conducted within the processing building in order to mitigate potential impacts from operations. Surface water and groundwater protection systems will be constructed and maintained in accordance with DEP Best Management Practices. Any water from the roll off trucks that reaches the floor inside the building will be collected in a closed drainage system and will not discharge to groundwater or surface waters. In addition to complying with the rigorous solid waste permitting process, the facility will be required to obtain other state and local permits.
ATS is proposing the 600 tons per day (tpd) capacity of the solid waste transfer and recycling facility because of the demand for this size and type of facility in the South Shore area. There are currently very few municipal or commercial landfills that remain open within the service area (Eastern Massachusetts) of the Facility. Since DEP has not permitted additional disposal sites, many municipal and commercial solid waste generators and haulers have to travel distances to disposal facilities or recycled material users, many of which are located out of state. Even if the DEP were able to permit new solid waste disposal facilities to meet the anticipated shortfall that the DEP’s Master Plan identifies it will take several years for those facilities to be permitted and operational. The development of a couple of handling facilities in the vicinity of Abington have helped relieve the critical nature of the of the capacity shortfall. However, ATS has made a business decision that additional solid waste handling capacity is needed in the region. Significant growth is anticipated in the area of the proposed Facility, such as the proposed mixed use development of the South Weymouth Naval Air Station which is within one half mile of the site. With the uncertainty of future regional disposal capacity in a growing area of the state, a transfer station of sufficient capacity will be an important component in the region’s economy, infrastructure and environmental protection.
Facility Design
A single clear-span, 32,000 square foot, metal-frame building expansion will enclose the Facility. The clear span ceiling height will be approximately 26 feet within the building. The proposed building expansion will connect to the east wall of the existing vehicle maintenance building. The transfer station building will be equipped with roll-up doors on four bays along the north side of the building, where transfer trailer trucks will enter and receive waste from the tipping floor. The tipping floor entrances and exits along the south side of the proposed building, which are for the trucks that are bringing waste to the transfer station, will also have roll-up doors.
The building is designed with four waste handling bays with a continuous tipping floor for dumping and handling the waste. The tipping floor of the facility will be of reinforced concrete and will have floor drains that will collect incidental drippings from the trucks or waste that is brought into the building and floor wash water. These floor drains will discharge to a contained system, as described below, which will not discharge to surface waters or the environment. Fifteen foot (15') high concrete push walls will be constructed between each of the tipping floor area bays and partially in front of the transfer trailer bays. Refer to the Floor & Yard Piping Plan which is included in Attachment 2.
Lighting of the working area will be provided by translucent panels in the roof and lights suspended from the ceiling and mounted on the walls. The tipping floor area will not be heated. Man doors will be provided for access by authorized personnel. All heat and smoke sensors and other equipment that may be required by the appropriate building code and the Town of Abington Building and Fire Department’s will be provided. Fire protection will be provided by multiple levels of systems, including a sprinkler system designed by an expert in fire suppression systems, by hydrants located on the property which will be connected to the public water system on Route 18, by fire extinguishers that will be provided throughout the Facility, and by a small diameter yard hydrant system located in the proposed building.
The site’s existing pavement area will be significantly increased as part of the proposed site improvements. Refer to the Site Plan that is included in Attachment 2 for the proposed pavement area of the site. The site’s proposed access onto Route 18 has been developed from discussions with, and the requirements of, the Massachusetts Highway Department (MHD). The existing driveway to Route 18 will be abandoned. A new entrance of the driveway will be created just north of the approximate middle of the Route 18 frontage. The width will be 40 feet and the exit radii will be increased to 50' in accordance with MHD requirements. In accordance with requests made by the MHD and the Towns of Abington and Weymouth during previous MEPA review, ATS had proposed to widen the north and southbound lanes of Route 18 along and to a few hundred feet north and south of the site as acceleration/de-acceleration/passing lanes. In the intervening period MHD plans to widen Route 18 have progressed and are likely to occur during the project planning period, thus providing the recommended widening in the MHD’s comprehensive roadways improvement program for Route 18. Because of this ATS will coordinate its access design with MHD to insure it provides safe and efficient site access and egress for both initial and long term operating periods. All design changes to the site’s entrance and egress will require MHD approvals, in the form of a curb cut permit. ATS will prepare the curb cut permit application to be consistent with the recommendations made by MHD. MHD has noted that it will consider the proposed access road to Route 3 that may be located along the ATS north property line, when it is reviewing ATS permit application. Other expansions of the site’s paving will include areas in front (south side) of the transfer station building which will allow adequate room for vehicles bringing waste to the facility to queue up, if necessary, and to maneuver into the building. Access will extend around the building from the south side, along the east side to the north side and then to the new entrance, as discussed above, on to Route 18.
A Cape Cod berm will be provided along both sides of the roadway to ensure that run-off water is diverted to the appropriate drainage structures. The pavement will be extended up to the building, as indicated on the Site Plan. Adequate parking will be provided for 25 employee and visitor automobiles. During operating hours there is sufficient area to park five transfer trailers and 20 roll-off containers on the site without interference to operations. During non-operating hours there will be additional area to store 20 transfer trailers or 40 roll-off containers within the building.
The site’s stormwater management system will be improved by adding new drainage structures, including catch basins, pipes and manholes. These structures will collect stormwater runoff and transport it to the existing sedimentation/detention basins for treatment prior to discharge to the adjacent wetlands. The existing basins were constructed in accordance with an Order of Conditions issued by the Abington Conservation Commission and will provide Best Management Practices (BMP) for stormwater treatment and control. The 30 inch diameter discharge drain pipe that is located in the rear (east) of the site has been relocated in accordance with the Order of Conditions. Catch basins in the yard area of the site will be constructed with deep sumps and hooded outlets to provide oil/gas separation. Trench drains will be constructed along the outside entrance to the transfer trailer bays. Roof drains from the proposed building will be provided with direct connections to the stormwater management system. The stormwater management system is a completely separate system from the building drains. The two systems are designed specifically to separate liquids that may be in contact with waste (leachate) from those liquids (stormwater) that are to discharge to surface waters.
The existing drainage system along Route 18 will not be significantly changed, nor will the runoff characteristics from this area significantly change since there will be relatively minor alterations to impervious area. This runoff will continue to be collected by the existing drainage system, with minor changes to allow for the relocation of the access onto Route 18. The MHD, as part of a roadway improvements project for Route 18, plans to construct some drainage improvements in the vicinity of the site. ATS will coordinate its curb cut permit application with the final MHD design.
The proposed stormwater collection system will discharge to the three stage sedimentation basin system that has been constructed at the eastern limit of the site. The basin system is designed to control and treat stormwater runoff before it discharges to the adjacent wetlands. The three-stage basin system consists of two structural components; the first stage and structural component is a sediment forebay to remove a majority of sediment; the second structural component includes the second stage permanent wet pond and third stage extended detention pond. When runoff is routed to the system it will discharge to the wetlands along the eastern edge of the site. The sedimentation pond system will serve two purposes: 1) to control post-development stormwater run-off rates to below pre-development rates (quantity), and 2) to capture sediment in the stormwater collected through the drainage system (quality).
The proposed stormwater and sedimentation control system has been approved by the Abington Conservation Commission in an Order of Conditions. The stormwater and sediment control system has been designed to meet the performance standards of and to be in accordance with the DEP’s Stormwater Management Policy and conforms to the procedures and standards of DEP’s Stormwater Management Handbook. DEP’s Stormwater Management Form and supporting calculations for the hydrologic performance of the proposed system under two year, 10-year, and 100-year storm conditions were included for MEPA review in the SEIR. Design conditions have not changed from the design that was previously reviewed by MEPA and approved by DEP in the Authorization to Construct and the Conservation Commission’s Order of Conditions.
In its Final ATC, DEP required ATS to add a gate valve on the outlet pipe of the sedimentation pond system. The purpose of the valve was to allow ATS to shut off the discharge to the pond if a release of contamination, such as a fuel leak, occurs in the yard area. With the discharge of the pond halted the water in the pond can be pumped out for disposal or treated in the pond. Closing the valve will create a temporary containment capacity of approximately 25,000 cubic feet (187,000 gallons) above the maximum elevation of a two-year storm event. ATS will have to acquire Conservation Commission approval to construct this minor modification to the system. ATS will also place and continually maintain adsorption booms around the discharge structure of the sedimentation basins. The booms will adsorb oils and greases that may run off of the paved area of the site. The booms are effective in adsorbing both low volume oils and greases that are typically in runoff from any paved surface and for immediate remediation of a larger, sudden release such as gasoline or diesel fuel from a ruptured fuel tank.
Grading and placement of floor drains, as shown in the design plans, eliminate the potential of liquids from the waste handling areas discharging to the environment. This design, using conventional engineering applications, provides complete assurance of the elimination of potential discharges of contaminated materials to groundwater or surface water. Liquids that may collect on the tipping floor and in the trailer bay areas will be collected in a series of floor drains, which are either catch basins (tipping floor) or trench drains (trailer bays). The water collected in the trailer bay trench drains will be pumped up to the floor drain system by individual pumps in each drain. The combined flow of the trailer bay trench drains and the tipping floor catch basins will flow by gravity through a system of pipes and manholes to a pump station located adjacent to the southeast corner of the transfer station building. The pump station will discharge the collected floor drain water through a force main, for discharge to the public sewer. The pump station will be provided with automatic controls, a high water alarm and adequate reserve capacity to allow for power outage conditions. The pump station discharge to the public sewer will require a discharge permit from the Abington Sewer Commission and approval from the City of Brockton Sewer Department. If either of these approvals is not obtained, the floor drain liquid will be collected in the pump station chamber as a tight tank and hauled, by pumper truck, to a publicly owned treatment facility that will accept the liquid waste.
In order to satisfy the requirements for a two-foot vertical separation between high groundwater and the area where waste handling is to occur as established by the Site Suitability Criteria of the Site Assignment Regulations, 310 CMR 16.40, ATS proposes an underdrain system which will lower the groundwater table to provide four feet of separation which is double the required distance. Groundwater table elevations were measured from a series of groundwater monitoring wells that have been installed on the site. The underdrain system is depicted on the Floor & Yard Piping Plan which is included in Attachment 2. The underdrain system is designed to passively (by gravity, without pumping) lower the groundwater elevations in the areas of the transfer trailer bays. The lowest points where waste is “handled” are the floor drain systems in the transfer trailer bays and the system’s pump station. The bay floors and the floor drain system will be underlained with a subgrade of 3/4" to 1 ½" crushed stone, which will direct the groundwater to flow to the lowest points within the excavated areas. The crushed stone will be underlain by geotextile to prevent migration of fine soil particles into the crushed stone. These materials and design provide a very stable structural base for the building.
The system is designed to produce a four-foot separation between the groundwater and the sumps of the trench drains. Perforated pipe will be installed within the crushed stone that is placed below the floor drains. The groundwater that is collected in the underdrain system will flow through a series of pipes and manholes to an existing discharge pipe near the wetlands along the eastern side of the site. This system is a typical underdrain system, consistent with MHD standards and systems used in building foundation drains. While the system provides highly preferable gravity flow, it is capable of being back flushed for cleaning or supplemented by connecting a pump at the access manholes. While it is extremely unlikely that groundwater will or can be impacted by waste handling operations at a transfer station with the numerous mitigation design components proposed for the facility, the groundwater discharging from the underdrain outlet will be sampled quarterly and analyzed by an independent laboratory for the presence of contamination. The underdrain outlet pipe also allows for the contingency of collecting groundwater for disposal, should the groundwater ever be impacted by solid waste operations.
In the Final ATC the DEP required that ATS install at least four groundwater monitoring wells (piezometers) to monitor the groundwater separation distance during the operating life of the facility. ATS will place these monitoring wells below the transfer trailer bays, adjacent to or in the trench drains and will be monitored, at least every other month, to assure compliance with the DEP’s requirements. If, in the highly unlikely event, groundwater ever approaches or comes within the regulatory limit of two feet of the bottom of a trench drain, it is most likely to occur in the westerly trailer bay, since it is the most up gradient, relative to groundwater flow. If this occurs, operations within that bay will be suspended until the minimum required separation distance is reestablished.
The existing electric power system will be upgraded to accommodate the requirements of the planned improvements, if needed. High intensity lighting will be provided, both inside and outside the proposed building for security and operational purposes.
Water for domestic uses and fire and dust suppression will be provided to the facility by the municipal water distribution system. A large diameter water line of at least eight inches will be extended into the transfer station from an existing 12" diameter water line that runs along the northern side of the property, which loops the water line on Bedford Street (Route 18) to the water line on Adams Street (Route 58). An internal water supply system will be designed and constructed to provide greater than the required water volume and pressure needed to meet conservative fire suppression system demands. The internal water supply system may include water storage (volume) and booster pump (pressure) components, as will be determined by the design of the fire suppression system. These supplemental components may be provided, notwithstanding the testimony of Daniel Callahan, the Manager of the Abington/Rockland Joint Water Works, during the 2000 site assignment hearings that he was not concerned with fire suppression flows (Volume III, Page 76). The on-site fire suppression system will, at a minimum, consist of fire hydrants and sprinkler or deluge systems that will exceed the requirements of the Abington Building and Fire Departments. Design of these facilities will require flow testing of the public water system in accordance with the requirements of the Abington/Rockland Joint Water Works.
Domestic sanitary wastewater will be handled by the use of the existing service connection to the public sewer that is located along Bedford Street (Route 18). Floor drain flows will be collected and pumped to the public sewer by a separate system. Maximum wastewater flows are estimated to be approximately 700 gallons per day from the site. This is based on a total of 300 gallons per day domestic use (an assumed 20 employee and non-employee users at the Title 5 usage rate of 15 gallons per day per capita) plus up to 400 gallons per day flows from the floor drain system. Of the 400 gallons per day that is expected to come from the floor drain system, 200 gallons per day is assumed to be from use of the public water system for dust suppression and floor washing and 200 gallons per day of this flow would come from liquids that might drain from the waste or from the truck beds. Actual floor drain flow rates will be dependent on weather conditions at any point in time. During dry weather, flows from use of the public water system will increase because of additional dust suppression needs and during wet weather, flows will increase because of drainage from waste with higher moisture content and from vehicles.
The primary and most effective air quality control will be the construction of the transfer station’s structural building and the conduct of all solid waste handling operations within that structure. The conduct of waste handling operations within the enclosing structure will significantly reduce the dispersion of potential adverse impacts associated with air quality, such as dust, odors and noise, to a point where no detectable impact to receptors will occur. The potential impacts are most likely to be created by the actions of dumping the incoming waste onto the tipping floor; handling or moving the waste across the tipping floor; and loading the waste into the transfer trailers. All of these actions will be conducted within the building. Also, all loading operations of the transfer trailers will be conducted with the trailer bay doors closed. This will eliminate the flow through of wind, which could carry dust or odors to the ambient atmosphere for potential dispersion to receptors. See Attachment 8 for the Air Quality Assessment.
ATS will construct a fixed nozzle dust and odor suppression mister type system. This type of system creates a mist in the upper areas of the building. As the mist settles, it collects the airborne dust and carries it to the tipping floor. This type of a system can be flexibly adjusted to increase dust suppression capacity in areas of greater dust generation, such as where waste is dumped, or in the doorways. It also functions very effectively for odor control. Odor suppressing chemicals are added to the mister system discharge, which effectively neutralize odors. The system is readily controllable to increase application rates of water and/or odor suppressant chemicals, in reaction to prevailing conditions. Such systems have been successfully used in many solid waste handling and wastewater treatment facilities. Manufacturer’s information on a fixed nozzle odor control system that has been used in transfer stations is included as part of Attachment 10, the Facility Impact Assessment.
ATS has also decided to install a high rate ventilation and dust removal system in the transfer station. The ventilation system will rapidly draw air from space above the tipping floor at a height where small diameter dust particles can be captured. The ventilation system will then discharge through either a cartridge filter, a bag filter or a cyclone settler, to remove the dust. An odor control system could be added to the ventilation system. The treated air would be discharged to the atmosphere so that the flow of air within the transfer station is controlled, or the air could be recycled back to the station.
In addition to these primary air quality controls of conducting all solid waste operations inside the transfer station building with active dust and odor control systems, there are other controls that will be used to reduce adverse impacts to air quality. Dust will be controlled by the application of water to individual waste loads that are dusty. Yard hydrants are being provided in the transfer station building for this purpose. The hoses will also be used to wash down the tipping floor periodically to reduce dust generation. Additional controls for odor will be provided by the spot application of odor suppressants. Portable odor suppressant application containers will be used as a supplemental odor control system to the fixed nozzle system. There will be several suppressant application containers stored around the tipping floor, ready for immediate use by the transfer station’s operating personnel. The operating personnel will apply the suppressant immediately, upon detection of an odor problem and will continue to apply the material until the problem has been mitigated. These controls will limit dust and odor conditions to the inside of the transfer station and eliminate the potential for any off site impact from the transfer station’s operation.
ATS is required by DEP to have the facility and its operations independently inspected at least every other month (bi-monthly). These inspections must note the presence of any odor or dust conditions that are evident in or outside of the transfer station building. In addition, DEP and the Abington Board of Health have open access to the facility during normal operation hours, to inspect all aspects of operations. These agencies can require additional abatement measures and can impose conditions in the operating permits they issue to ATS including closing the facility if nuisance conditions develop at the facility. Although that is the case, the two principle mitigation measures will provide complete dust and odor control such that there will be no adverse impacts to receptors and no additional contingency actions will be necessary. These are: (1) the conduct of all solid waste handling operations inside of the transfer station building and (2) the operation of the active, fixed nozzle dust and odor suppression systems along with the proposed air handling/filtration system
Facility Operations
When the Transfer Station improvements described above are completed, the operations of the Facility will be conducted in an orderly and controlled manner. All incoming vehicles will stop first at one of the two scales located to the south of the building and will weigh-in. A scale attendant will be responsible for controlling traffic flow to the tipping floor and recording the full-weight of the incoming material. There is enough room to have six or seven vehicles waiting to weigh-in between the scale and Route 18, without blocking access to the site or causing a back-up onto Route 18. After being weighed, all incoming vehicles will proceed to the transfer station tipping floor where at least four vehicles at a time may back in and off-load in the building. There is adequate paved area south of the transfer station building for at least eight trucks to wait to enter the building, after they have been weighed, without obstructing the movement of trucks in this area.
A spotter, or Inspector, will be responsible for inspecting loads as they are discharged onto the tipping floor. At that time, unacceptable materials, including waste ban materials, will be removed and recyclables recovered. Unacceptable materials will be handled in accordance with current DEP regulations. Recyclables will be pulled from the load and set aside for delivery to a recycling facility, for eventual delivery to an end market. After depositing its load each vehicle will exit the building and weigh out if necessary. Depending on the truck traffic congestion along the entrance route, trucks may exit the site by going around the building to the east and entering Route 18.
The tipping floor is large enough to accommodate the off-loading of construction/demolition waste at different loading bays. There is sufficient area to segregate refuse from recyclable materials and also to allow for the operation of equipment used to compact the refuse and load the transfer trailers. Material will be deposited at the mid-point of the tipping floor of each of the bays and moved to the east or west against the push walls. Waste that is handled for disposal will be compacted by operating equipment, pushed against the push-walls and loaded into a transfer trailer. Waste wood, asphalt, brick and concrete (ABC) rubble and other selected materials from construction/demolition waste stream will be handled in a similar manner on the tipping floor. However, these selected materials, which will be subject to waste ban requirements, will be put in separate transfer trailers for transportation to processing facilities rather than disposal facilities. Metals for recycling will be taken off the tipping floor and loaded into a container located on the tipping floor.
Transfer trailers will move into each of the four loading pits, where they will be loaded with refuse or recyclable materials. The loading pits are located along the north side of the building. Each trailer will be covered with a tarpaulin before leaving the building. The exiting, loaded transfer trailers will be weighted on the scale located to the north of the station building and will then depart from the site onto Route 18. The trailers will deliver the waste to appropriate regional waste disposal or recycling facilities. Loaded trailers will be removed from the site within 24 hours.
B. Fees {310 CMR 16.08(4)}
1. Proof of Payment of Technical Fee
Abington Transfer Station, LLC has paid the Maximum Technical Fee to the Town of Abington. A copy of the check is included in Attachment 3.
2. Calculation of Technical Fee
From 310 CMR 16.99 Appendix A Table 2, the Maximum Technical Fee For Handling Facilities is based on the maximum daily volume of waste, measured in tons per day (tpd), that is proposed to be accepted at the facility. Abington Transfer Station is proposed to operate at a maximum daily volume of 600 tpd. The Maximum Technical Fee for the proposed facility capacity is $3,000 for the handling facility plus $20 per tpd, or:
$3,000.00 + ( 600 tpd x $20.00 / tpd) = $15,000.00
The total of the Maximum Technical Fee ($15,000) is to be adjusted for inflation by a factor determined by the ratio of Boston Consumer Price Index (BCPI) for September of the year preceding the current year, divided by the BCPI for September 1988. Per information provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the BCPI for September 2003 was 206.8 and September 1988 was 126.2. Applying the adjustment factor results in the following Maximum Technical Fee for the proposed Abington Transfer Station.
$15,000 x (206.8/126.2) = $24,580.03
F. Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) {310 CMR 16.08 (5) (d)}
As stated above, the Abington Transfer Station has been issued several MEPA certificates (EOEA #8694) for a solid waste handling facility with a capacity of up to 1,800 tons per day. As a result of public opposition to the project the site assignment was previously issued and modified following MEPA review, was rescinded by the Abington Board of Health. A Notice of Project Change (NPC) was submitted to MEPA on December 31, 2003 which described the modifications proposed to the project as discussed in this application for a Site Assignment. Following MEPA review of the NPC, the Secretary of Environmental Affairs issued a Certificate on February 23, 2004, that determined that no further MEPA review was required for the Abington Transfer Station. A copy of the Secretary’s Certificate is included in Attachment 4.
G. Wetlands Resources
1. Buffer Zone
On June 8, 1999 ATS filed a Notice of Intent (NOI) with the Abington Conservation Commission for work within the 100 foot buffer zone of Bordering Vegetated Wetlands (BVW). Proposed work to be conducted within the 100 foot buffer zone was limited to construction of a portion of an access road and stormwater controls, which were required to meet DEP Best Management Practices (BMPs). On August 18, 1999 the Commission issued an Order of Conditions to ATS, which was subsequently recorded in the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds. A copy of the Order of Conditions is included as Attachment 5. The approved work has since been constructed at ATS in accordance with the Order of Conditions.
Under the Final Permit for Authorization to Construct issued by DEP on September 15, 2000, DEP required ATS to add a gate valve on the outlet pipe of the sedimentation pond. The purpose of the valve is to allow ATS to shut off the discharge to the pond if a release, such as a fuel leak, occurs in the yard area. With the discharge of the pond halted, the water in the pond can be pumped out for disposal or treated in the pond. Closing the valve will create a temporary containment capacity of approximately 25,000 cubic feet (187,000 gallons) above the maximum elevation of a two-year storm event. ATS will have to acquire Conservation Commission approval to construct this minor modification to the system. ATS will also place and continually maintain adsorption booms around the discharge structure of the sedimentation basins. The booms will adsorb oils and greases that may run off of the paved area of the site. The booms are effective in adsorbing both low volume oils and greases that are typically in runoff from any paved surface and for immediate remediation of a larger, sudden release such as gasoline or diesel fuel from a ruptured fuel tank.
There has previously been concern expressed about a risk to public health, safety and the environment because liquids from the facility might potentially have an adverse impact on French’s Stream, a surface water body which is reported to be “impaired” or “overburdened”. There is no risk of adverse impact from the proposed facility because ATS will meet or exceed Best Management Practices (BMP) in the facility design and operation. Moreover, the DEP previously determined that in regard to the much larger facility that ATS had previously proposed (which facility is subject to the full reservation of its right to proceed on the proposal if it prevails in the pending appeal) that the proper operation of the transfer station will not impact wetlands, streams or water supplies and stated that the Department may require additional environmental monitoring during the facility’s operating period. The Abington Conservation Commission agreed by issuing an Order of Conditions under the Wetlands Protection Act, G.L. c. 131, §40, approving the surface water and sediment control system which ATS has incorporated in its current design.
The surface water quality protection systems that ATS is proposing to construct are addressed above in the Facility Design section. The systems will intercept, collect and treat any liquids that may be present on the site. There are two basic surface water protection systems. The first system is for liquids exposed to contact with waste. These liquids are technically required to be described as leachate. It bears considerable emphasis, however, that these liquids would result from very brief contact of water and waste materials. Even under the worst case, they might contain only minute amounts of impurities. In no way, however, would these liquids ever be comparable to landfill leachate. Landfill leachates result from long-term contact between water and landfilled materials. Consequently they contain contaminates at levels that are many orders of magnitude higher than would be contained in transfer station liquids. The floor drain system will collect any liquids that accumulate on the transfer station floor that might have emanated from contact with solid waste. It will ensure the safe disposal of these liquids at a public treatment plant and thereby entirely prevent any discharge of such liquids to nearby surface waters.
The second system is for stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff from the site will be collected in deep sump catch basins and treated by means of a three-stage retention/detention basin system. Discharge from the basin will be able to be shut off by means of a valve that will be added to the outlet of the pond system. The valve will be closed in the unlikely event there is a release of contaminants, such as fuel from one of the vehicles using the facility, onto the paved area of the site. Should that occur the sedimentation pond would then be treated by either pumping and removing all water from the pond or treating the water in the pond. ATS will place and maintain floatation devices at the sedimentation pond outlet structure to adsorb dissolved and floating petroleum, oils and greases that may result from normal runoff of paved surfaces or from a sudden fuel release on the site.
2. Riverfront Area
“The Riverfront Area” is defined at 310 CMR 10.58 (2)(a)3.a. as “the area of land between a river’s mean annual high-water line measured horizontally outward from the river and a parallel line located 200 feet away.......” The closest River shown on the current U.S.G.S. map is an unnamed stream that is tributary to French Stream, and is located on the BRT property. No work within the 200 foot Riverfront Area of the unnamed stream is proposed. See the Water Resources Site Plan in Attachment 2.
3. 100-Year Floodplain
The waste handling area will not be within the limits of the 100-year FEMA floodplain.
4. Order of Conditions
A Notice of Intent was filed with the Abington Conservation Commission. An Order of Conditions was issued on August 18, 1999 by the Commission. Attachment 5 includes the issued Order of Conditions. ATS will be required to submit a Notice of Intent for the proposed improvements to the existing stormwater management system that have been required by DEP in its ATC.
5. Variances
ATS is not seeking any variances from the Wetlands Protection Regulations.
G. Maps
1. Groundwater Contour Map
A Groundwater Contour Map is included in Attachment 2 - Plans and Figures. Based upon groundwater investigation using measurements taken during April 1998 from a series of seven groundwater monitoring wells that are located on the site, a groundwater contour map has been developed for the site. As can be noted from this figure, the inferred groundwater contours range from about elevation 176, in the vicinity of the existing building, to between 170 and 161 toward the eastern edge of the site.
2. Locus Map
A Locus Map is included in Attachment 2 - Plans and Figures.
3. Water Resources Site Plan
A Water Resources Site Plan is included in Attachment 2 - Plans and Figures. This plan indicates the location of the listed water resources that are within a one half mile radius from the site boundary.
4. Land Use Site Plan
A Land Use Site Plan is included in Attachment 2 - Plans and Figures. This plan indicates the location of the listed land use criteria that are within a one half mile radius from the site boundary.
SECTION II. FACILITY SPECIFIC CRITERIA
A. Landfills
Not Applicable.
B. Combustion Facilities
Not Applicable.
C. Waste Handling and Processing Facilities
The Facility-specific Site Suitability Criteria that are applicable to the proposed Abington Transfer Station facility are presented below (in italics) as they appear in, or are paraphrases of the regulations at 310 CMR 16.40 (3)(d) or on the BWP SW01 Application Form. Each criterion is addressed with respect to the proposed ATS facility.
Criteria for Solid Waste Handling Facilities No site shall be determined to be suitable or be assigned as a solid waste facility where:
1. The waste handling area would be within the Zone I of a public water supply.
The ATS facility is not within Zone I of a public water supply.
2. The waste handling area would be within the Interim Wellhead Protection Area (IWPA) or a Zone II of an existing public water supply well within a proposed drinking water source area, provided that the documentation necessary to obtain a source approval has been submitted prior to the earlier of either the site assignment application, or if the MEPA process does apply, the Secretary’s Certificate on the Environmental Notification Form or Notice of Project Change, or where applicable, the Secretary’s Certificate on the EIR or Final EIR, unless restrictions are imposed to minimize the risk of an adverse impact to the groundwater; and either
i. The proponent can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Department that the facility cannot reasonably be sited outside of the IWPA or Zone II; or ii. There would be a net environmental benefit to the groundwater by sitting the facility within the Zone II or the IWPA where the site has been previously used for solid waste management activities.
The ATS facility is not within an IWPA of an existing public water supply well or a Zone II of an existing public water supply well. The facility is not within the medium yield portion of the so-called French’s Stream aquifer as was shown on Figure 6.2-1 of the SEIR (copy included in Attachment 2). Most importantly, the “aquifer” does not meet the definition of a Potential Public Water Supply under the requirements of the Site Assignment Regulations, 310 CMR 16.40(3)(d)(2), because the initial MEPA submission for the transfer station in 1991 predated the submissions in 2002 of source approval documentation for any potential public water supply in the French’s Stream aquifer by some eleven years.
These considerations fully demonstrate compliance with this site suitability criteria. Nonetheless, assuming for the sake of discussion that there is disagreement on this disposition, because consultants for the South Shore Tri-Town Development Corp. have identified a proposed drinking water source on the South Weymouth Naval Air Station property. The ATS site is outside of the preliminary Zone II (proposed drinking water source area) set forth in the Request for Site Exam filed by Woodard & Curran in August of 2002. (See the Water Resources Plan and Preliminary Zone II figure located in Attachment 2.) There is no reliable data in the form of results of a long-term pumping test and water quality testing as to whether potential yields would even support a viable and sustainable drinking water source anywhere in the aquifer.
There are no less than eight Superfund sites in or immediately adjacent to the aquifer which is the subject of the Woodard & Curran study. These sites have caused it to be polluted with hazardous wastes and known carcinogens such that it is unfit for human consumption. The Department of the Navy, which has acknowledged responsibility for the pollution, is currently carrying out remediation of these sites.
There are still many important questions surrounding the completion and efficacy of the remediation of these Superfund sites. Moreover, studies aimed at determining the suitability of any portion of this aquifer as a public water supply source are still underway. ATS has been unable to establish the date by which Navy will have completed its cleanup. This is important because the cleanup may not be finished during the operational life of the transfer station.
After reviewing the Request For Site Exam by Woodard & Curran, DEP issued an Approval to Site Source, dated October 11, 2002. See Attachment 11. Although it approved the proposed public water supply well locations for further investigation by a prolonged pump test, DEP indicated in no uncertain terms that it did not believe that the proposed wells are a viable potential source for drinking water:
C “There are many potential contamination threats to the wells within the preliminary Zone II wellhead protection area, primarily from historic activities at the Base. Some of these are Superfund sites.”
C “The contamination threats at the Base pose a risk to the long term viability of the wells, and the potential stream flow impacts from the wells, along with the vernal pool adjacent to Site 1-01, will pose significant permitting issues that could result in denial of the wells or severe restrictions on their use.” C “Preliminary water quality analyses show that the well water is extremely high in iron and manganese and will require filtration treatment.”
C “The capital costs of providing treatment to make the well water acceptable for potable use appear to be high.”
C “DEP recommends that the on-site wells be considered a fallback option, rather than a first option for water supply . . ..”
C “Because the alternative sources of water supply are limited, DEP will approve the well sites for further testing, with the understanding that DEP does not consider the well sites to be optimal.”
Although DEP has determined that treatment will be required, at least for iron and manganese removal, these is no indication that the Navy intends to install a treatment works to address any contamination that it is unable to remove. It is critical to determine whether treatment is required before one can further assess the potential impact of the ATS site on this questionable aquifer. ATS believes that its site engineering and operational safeguards will ensure that no pollutants leave its facility. In the unlikely event that they might, the treatment works required to address existing contaminants in the French’s Stream aquifer would likely also treat any pollutants from ATS facility should they even reach the aquifer.
There is unquestionably a stigma that attaches to every Superfund site. Add to this the concerns that will certainly arise based on the documented carcinogens in the aquifer. It thus seems unlikely that residents would ever allow their drinking water to be drawn from such a questionable source even were authorities to claim that it is “safe to drink” after treatment.
In light of these factors, it seems unduly speculative to attempt to assess further the potential impact of small amounts of the improbable release of low level contaminates that might possibly escape the multiple levels of safeguards ATS proposes to install at the facility on future drinking water supplies that come from an historically contaminated aquifer that has Superfund sites within or along its boundaries.
Finally, the French’s Stream aquifer is shallow, as determined by all previous investigations, and contains significant amounts of wetland areas. While the long term pumping test and subsequent groundwater and surface water modeling will evaluate the effects of a water withdrawal on these resource areas, it is likely that current Water Management Act regulations regarding long term water withdrawal may limit the amount of water that can be withdrawn to the point that the project is not viable.
3. The waste handling area would be within the Zone A of a surface drinking water supply.
The ATS facility is not within the Zone A of a surface drinking water supply. 4. The waste handling area would be within 500 feet upgradient, and where not upgradient, within 250 feet, of an existing or potential private water supply well existing or established as a Potential Private Water Supply at the time of submittal of the application, provided however, the applicant may show a valid option to purchase the restricted area including the well and a guarantee not to use the well as a drinking water source, the exercise of which shall be a condition of any site assignment.
There are no known existing or potential private drinking water supply wells within 500 ft. of the ATS facility. Existing private water supply wells that are located within a one half mile radius are indicated on the Water Resource Site Plan in Attachment 2.
5. The waste handling area of (a) a transfer station that proposes to receive less than or equal to 50 tons per day of solid waste and utilizes a fully enclosed storage system such as a compactor unit.........(b) any other transfer station or any handling facility is 500 feet from: (i) an occupied residential dwelling; or( ii) a prison, health care facility, elementary school, middle school or high school, children’s preschool, licensed day care center, or senior center or youth center, excluding equipment storage or maintenance structures.
i. There are no occupied residential dwellings within 500 feet of the waste handling area of the proposed ATS facility. There is a residence at 1530 Bedford Street that is within 500 feet of the existing ATS building. There will be no waste handling done within the existing building. Based on the field surveyed location of this residence, the closest corner of the proposed transfer station building will be located 501 feet from that residence. The closest actual waste handling area (loaded transfer trailer) will be twenty feet further from the residence. See the Land Use Site Plan in Attachment 2 for the surveyed location of the residence at 1530 Bedford Street relative to the proposed waste handling area of the ATS facility.
ii. There are no prisons, health care facilities, elementary schools, middle schools or high schools, children’s preschools, licensed day care centers, or senior centers or youth centers within 500 feet of either the area proposed to be used for waste handling at the ATS facility or the proposed site assigned area.
6. A waste handling area would be within the Riverfront Area as defined at 310 CMR 10.00.
A “River” is defined at 310 CMR 10.58(2)(a)1.a, as a perennial stream, where “The issuing authority shall presume that river or stream shown as perennial on the current United States Geologic Survey (U.S.G.S.) or more recent map provided by the Department is perennial unless rebutted by evidence from a competent source asserting to the contrary or a finding by the issuing authority.” “The Riverfront Area” is defined at 310 CMR 10.58 (2)(a)3.a. as “the area of land between a river’s mean annual high-water line measured horizontally outward from the river and a parallel line located 200 feet away.......” The closest River shown on the current U.S.G.S. map is an unnamed stream that is tributary to French Stream, and is located on the BRT property. No work is proposed to be conducted within the 200 foot Riverfront Area of the unnamed stream.
7. The maximum high groundwater table is within two (2) ft. of the ground surface in areas where waste handling or processing is to occur unless it can be demonstrated that a two (2)-ft. separation can be designed and operated to the satisfaction of the Department.
Based upon groundwater investigation using measurements taken during April 1998 from a series of seven groundwater monitoring wells that are located on the site, a groundwater contour map has been developed for the site. The Groundwater Contour Plan is included in Attachment 2. As can be noted from this figure the inferred groundwater contours range from about elevation 176, in the vicinity of the existing building, to between 170 and 161 toward the eastern edge of the site.
In order to satisfy the requirements for a two-foot vertical separation between high groundwater and the area where waste handling is to occur, ATS proposes an underdrain system which will lower the groundwater table to provide four feet of separation which is double the required distance. In order to accomplish this, ATS has raised the building and tipping floor elevations an additional one foot and the transfer trailer bay floors an additional two feet above the elevations proposed in the previous design. In addition, the catch basin floor drains in the trailer bays will be replaced with shallow trench drains, which will each have a pump that will discharge to the floor drains on the tipping floor. The trench drains will be designed with an underdrain system that will lower groundwater in their vicinity to approximately four feet below the collection trenches. All collected floor drain liquids will discharge to a pump station located at generally the same elevation of the tipping floor, where groundwater is some 16’ below the finished elevation. As previously described, the pump station will discharge to the public sewer on Bedford Street, or if this is not permitted, it shall function as a tight tank. The underdrain system is depicted on the Floor & Yard Piping Plan which is included in Attachment 2.
The system is designed to produce a four-foot separation between the groundwater and the sumps of the trench drains. Perforated pipe will be installed within the crushed stone that is placed below the floor drains. The groundwater that is collected in the underdrain system will flow through a series of pipes and manholes to an existing discharge pipe near the wetlands along the eastern side of the site. This is a typical underdrain system, similar to MHD standards and systems used in building foundation drains. While the system provides gravity flow, it is capable of being back flushed for cleaning or supplemented by connecting a pump at the access manholes. While it is extremely unlikely that groundwater will or can be impacted by waste handling operations at a transfer station with the numerous mitigation design components proposed for the facility, groundwater discharging from the underdrain outlet will be sampled quarterly and analyzed by a laboratory for potential contamination. The underdrain outlet pipe also allows for the contingency of collecting groundwater for disposal, should the groundwater ever be impacted by solid waste operations. In the Final ATC the DEP required that ATS install at least four groundwater monitoring wells (piezometers) to monitor the groundwater separation distance during the operating life of the facility. ATS will place these monitoring wells below the transfer trailer bays, adjacent to or in the trench drains and will monitor these wells, at least every other month, to assure compliance with the DEP’s requirements. If, in the highly unlikely event, that groundwater ever approaches or comes within the regulatory limit of two feet of the bottom of a trench drain, it is most likely to occur in the westerly trailer bay, since it is the most upgradient, relative to groundwater flow. If this occurs, operations within that bay will be suspended until the minimum required separation distance is reestablished.
SECTION III. GENERAL CRITERIA
The General Site Suitability Criteria outlined in 310 CMR 16.40(4) apply to all types of solid waste management facilities, and address concerns such as traffic and access to a site, threatened and endangered species, and Areas of Critical Environment Concern. Each criterion is presented in italics, followed by an evaluation of the relationship between that criterion and the ATS facility.
General Site Suitability Criteria The following Site Suitability Criteria shall apply to all types of solid waste management facilities.
a. Agricultural Lands. No site shall be determined to be suitable or would be assigned as a solid waste management facility where......(a 100-ft. buffer would not be present between the facility and defined classifications of agricultural land).
There is no land meeting the defined classifications of agricultural land within 100 ft. of the ATS facility.
b. Traffic and Access to the Site. No site shall be determined to be suitable or be assigned as a solid waste management facility where traffic impacts from the facility operation would constitute a danger to the public health, safety, or the environment taking into consideration the following factors: (1) traffic congestion, (2) pedestrian and vehicular safety, (3) road configurations, (4) alternate routes, and (5) vehicle emissions.
A traffic analysis for a 600 tons per day transfer station on the site was prepared by Vanasse & Associates, Inc. of Andover, Massachusetts. The full traffic study document is included as Attachment 6. This traffic study was performed in accordance with the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs/Executive Office of Transportation and Construction (EOEA/EOTC) guidelines for the preparation of Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs). The study analyzes the impact of the project on traffic and identifies the proposed mitigation commitment by ATS to address the project’s impacts. This analysis was conducted in accordance with the MEPA certificate and the analysis presented in the previous SEIR.
The study area is consistent with previous filings and was developed based on comments from local and state agencies including MEPA and DEP. In total, the study area includes 12 intersections in both the Towns of Weymouth and Abington and the proposed site driveway.
A capacity analysis was completed for the 2003 existing, 2008 No-Build and 2008 Build traffic volume conditions. The analysis was completed for the weekday morning and evening peak hours in addition to the Saturday midday peak hour. As a result of the relatively low amount of traffic generated by the project, there will be no change in any present or future levels of service at any of the study area intersections.
The Route 18 and site driveway intersection will operate similarly to any unsignalized driveway along Route 18 with delays expected for left turning traffic. However adequate spacing between vehicles on Route 18 in the traffic stream do exist for exiting traffic to enter Route 18. The driveway design allows for safe traffic movement into and out of the project.
The final phase of the analysis process is to identify the mitigation measures necessary to minimize the impact of the project to the roadway system. The following recommendations for improvements to the study area intersections and roadways adjacent to the site, and design of the proposed site access facilities have been developed to address potential concerns arising from current traffic, from future traffic, from other developments, and traffic added to the roadway system due to the proposed project.
Proposed Site Driveway at Route 18
The site driveway is located on Route 18 along the western sideline of the site. MassHighway is advancing planned roadway improvements to widen Route 18 from the Weymouth town line, past the ATS site to the Whitman town line in Abington. The site driveway will be designed in coordination with MassHighway to insure safe and efficient site access and egress. The design will take into account the planned MassHighway widening of both the north and south bound lanes of Route 18 for acceleration and deceleration lanes, and will be dependent on MassHighway approvals. Also, new pavement markings will be provided along Route 18 in front of the site. The proposed site driveway will consist of one 20-foot wide entering lane and a 20-foot wide exiting lane. The proposed driveway will be designed to provide 50-foot corner radii to accommodate truck turning movements. The exiting lane will be striped with a painted STOP-bar, and will operate under STOP sign control.
Off-Site Location
The off-site traffic impacts are minimal due to the downsized project and resulting low traffic generation. The level-of-service analysis indicates that the proposed project will not change any operating conditions at the study area intersections. In order to insure optimal operation conditions in the area, the project proponent proposes to review signal timing and phasing at the Route 58 and Route 139 intersection, the Route 58 and Route 123 intersection and the Route 18 and Route 123 intersection, within one year after the opening of the facility and implement those changes as approved by MHD.
As documented in the Vanasse study, the proposed 600 tons per day solid waste facility will result in very small traffic increases on Route 18 and will not be noticeable to the average motorist. During the study periods, the highest hourly directional traffic volume increase will range between 10 to 12 vehicles or one every five to six minutes. This increase will not change operating conditions at any of the study area intersections. The site driveway will be designed to ensure safe and efficient traffic operations, including provision of appropriate traffic control (pavement markings and signage), as well as design requirements to accommodate truck-related activity. In addition, the project proponent has agreed to review signal timings and phasing and implement changes by MassHighway at three study area locations within one year of the project opening.
Overall, this mitigation plan addresses the incremental impact of the project, and allows improved traffic operations under future conditions. With these improvements in place, efficient access and egress to the ATS facility can be provided, with minimal impact to the surrounding transportation system.
In total, the study area includes 12 intersections, which were reviewed with respect to the project’s incremental impact on traffic operations and safety. As documented in the study, the project will result in very little traffic impact to the area and mitigation has been recommended to enhance traffic operations at area intersections and to provide safe and efficient driveway operations. With respect to the suitability criteria for traffic and safety, the following can be concluded:
(1) Traffic Congestion: The project is estimated to generate a total of 302 daily vehicle trips consisting of 151 entering trips and 151 exiting trips. During the peak commuter hours of Route 18, the project will generate 32 vehicle trips during the morning peak hour and 28 vehicle trips during the evening peak hour, or approximately one vehicle every two minutes. The project will not create any traffic congestion in the area and traffic increase to any area roadways will be less than one percent.
(2) Pedestrian and Vehicular Safety: A comprehensive analysis has been completed for the project. The project is not expected to generate any pedestrian traffic. An analysis of accident data was completed at the study area intersections, which indicates that some of the intersections exceed the State Critical Crash Rates. Roadway improvements by MassHighway are planned to improve traffic operations and safety conditions. The proposed project will not adversely impact safety conditions in the area.
(3) Road Configurations: The site driveway onto Route 18 will be designed in coordination with MassHighway and will provide safe and efficient access. There are planned MassHighway improvements to the area, including widening the roadway, that are designed to improve traffic operations within the study area. The proposed project will not require any additional geometric modifications to the area roadways, than those that will be part of the MassHighway’s improvement program. MHD has noted that it will consider the proposed access road to Route 3 that may be located along the ATS north property line, when it is reviewing ATS permit application. The project proponent has committed to review signal timings and phasing at selected intersections, in coordination with MassHighway to optimize traffic operations.
(4) Alternate Routes: The majority of truck traffic is expected to travel to the north utilizing Route 18 to access the regional highway system via the Route 3 interchange. While an alternative route exists to Route 3 southbound via Pleasant Street, all truck traffic will be directed to utilize Route 18. Traveling to the south of the site, traffic is expected to utilize both Route 18 and Route 58.
(5) Vehicle Emissions: Attachment 8 includes a report titled “Air Quality and Noise Analysis of the Abington Transfer Station” by Tech Environmental, Inc. This report documents that trucks and equipment that travel to or are stationed on-site, will release a total of only 0.19 tons per year (tpy) of Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) on the site under a worst case scenario where the facility operates at its permitted capacity, six days per week, and every truck queues on site (not anticipated). EPA uses DPM as a surrogate for total diesel emissions in health assessments, and EPA has established an annual average inhalation reference concentration (RfC) of 5 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m3) for DPM which is a no-observed-adverse-health-effects threshold for continuous lifetime exposure, with a margin of safety. Maximum DPM air concentrations at the property line of the site (from project operations and background levels) will be only 0.8 mg/m3. Thus, air emissions associated with the proposed ATS project will not adversely affect public health or air quality in nearby residential areas, or anywhere in Abington or Weymouth.
In summary, a comprehensive analysis of impacts from the project has been completed and it can be concluded that the project will not adversely impact public health, safety, or the environment, with respect to traffic and access to the site.
c. Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat. No site shall be determined to be suitable or be assigned as a solid waste management facility where such sitting would:
1. have an adverse impact on Endangered, Threatened, or Special Concern species listed by the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program of the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife in its data base;
The Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) most recently responded to an inquiry regarding the existence of any endangered, threatened or special concern species, on or near the Abington Transfer Station site, by a letter dated July 27, 2004. This letter is a response to an inquiry submitted to NHESP for an updated determination. The NHESP stated that they are not aware of any rare or endangered species in the area, consistent with a previous determination by NHESP on the same issue. NHESP notes that the project “is near Certified Vernal Pool #1287". The closest Certified Vernal Pool identified on NHESP’s latest (11th Edition) Natural Heritage Atlas, is located across Route 18 and about 500 feet north and upgradient of the ATS site. Consequently, the ATS site can not effect this Certified Vernal Pool. Copies of the requests and the NHESP responses are included in Attachment 7.
2. have an adverse impact on an Ecologically Significant Natural Community as documented by the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program in its data base; or
The Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) most recently responded to an inquiry regarding the existence of any ecologically significant natural community, on or near the Abington Transfer Station site, by a letter dated July 27, 2004 The NHESP stated that they are not aware of any ecologically significant natural community in the area. Copies of the requests and the NHESP response are included in Attachment 7.
3. have an adverse impact on the wildlife habitat of any state Wildlife Management Area.
According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, there are no state designated Wildlife Management Areas in the vicinity which would be adversely impacted by the Abington Transfer facility.
d. Areas of Critical Environmental Concern. No site shall be determined to be suitable or be assigned as a solid waste management facility where such sitting:
1. would be located within an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), as designated by the Secretary of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs; or
2. would fail to protect the outstanding resources of an ACEC as identified in the Secretary’s designation if the solid waste management facility is to be located outside, but adjacent to the ACEC.
There are no ACECs in the vicinity of the ATS facility.
e. Protection of Open Space. No site shall be determined to be suitable or be assigned as a solid waste management facility where such sitting would have an adverse impact on the physical environment of, or on the use and enjoyment of:
2. State forests; 2. state municipal parklands or conservation land or other open space held for natural resource purposes in accordance with Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution; 3. MDC reservations; 4. Lands with conservation, preservation, agricultural, or watershed protection restrictions approved by the Secretary of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs; or 5. Conservation land owned by private non-profit land conservation organizations and open to the public.
There is no property in the vicinity of the ATS site that meet these descriptions.
f. Potential Air Quality Impacts. No site shall be determined to be suitable or be assigned as a solid waste management facility where the anticipated emissions from the facility would not meet the required state and federal air quality standards or criteria or would otherwise constitute a danger to the public health, safety or the environment, taking into consideration:
1. the concentration and dispersion of emissions; 2. the number and proximity of sensitive receptors; and 3. the attainment status of the area.
The proposed facility will not constitute a danger to the public health, safety, or the environment from anticipated air emissions. The following clarifies and substantiates those conclusions when considering the listed factors.
1.The concentration and dispersion of emissions; The proposed ATS facility will require an approved Operations and Maintenance Plan. The Operations and Maintenance Plan will include wetting dusty areas and waste loads to reduce dust generation. Paved surfaces and tipping floor areas will be regularly cleared by a vacuum sweeper to reduce dust generation. The tipping floor will be within an enclosed building which will mitigate wind blown dust migration. Active dust suppression system, including a fixed nozzle mister system and an air ventilation and filtration system, will be incorporated into the Facility’s design. See the discussion on dust control under the Nuisance section, below.
Attachment 8 includes a report titled “Air Quality and Noise Analysis of the Abington Transfer Station” by Tech Environmental, Inc. This report documents that trucks and equipment that travel to or are stationed on-site, will release a total of only 0.19 tons per year (tpy) of Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) on the site under a worst case scenario where the facility continually operates at its permitted capacity, six days per week, and every truck queues on site (not anticipated). EPA uses DPM as a surrogate for total diesel emissions in health assessments, and EPA has established an annual average inhalation reference concentration (RfC) of 5 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m3) for DPM, which is a no-observed-adverse-health-effects threshold for continuous lifetime exposure, with a margin of safety. Maximum DPM air concentrations at the property line of the site (from project operations and background levels) will be only 0.8 mg/m3.
EPA has also established and proposed National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particle matter (PM10) and very fine particulate matter (PM2.5). As described in Attachment 8, the proposed facility will contribute minimal amounts of PM10 and PM2.5 and that when those amounts are modeled and added to background levels at the property line, all established and proposed NAAQS are met.
The results in the Air Quality Assessment demonstrate that the ATS Project will not adversely affect air quality. Maximum air concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 are safely in compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and maximum air concentrations of DPM are safely in compliance with the EPA Reference Concentration (RfC). Thus, air emissions associated with the proposed ATS project will not adversely affect public health or air quality in nearby residential areas, or anywhere in Abington or Weymouth.
2. The number and proximity of sensitive receptors; Hospitals and schools are the primary sensitive receptors to the site. The closest hospital is South Shore Hospital located approximately two miles, directly north of the site on Route 18 in Weymouth. The closest school is the Woodsdale Elementary School on Chestnut Street, which is located approximately 1.4 miles from the site. There is one residence (1530 Bedford Street) that is on the opposite side of Route 18 and is 500 feet from the proposed transfer station building. While there are some sensitive receptors in the general, but not immediate area of the ATS site, there will be an insignificant level of air pollution emissions from the site, with resulting unperceivable impacts to those sensitive receptors.
3. The attainment status of the area. Southeastern Massachusetts is currently classified as a Moderate Non-Attainment Area for ozone and is classified as In Attainment or Unclassified for all other criteria pollutants for which EPA has established air quality standards. The compliance date for attaining the new 8-hour ozone standard is June 2010. The ATS design meets all Town and State setback requirements and will not adversely affect nearby sensitive receptors.
g. Potential for the Creation of Nuisances. No site shall be determined to be suitable or be assigned as a solid waste management facility where the establishment or operation of the facility would result in nuisance conditions which would constitute a danger to the public health, safety, or the environment, taking into consideration the following factors: (1) noise; (2) dust; (3) litter; (4) vectors (vermin) such as rodents and insects; (5) odors; (6) bird hazards to air traffic, and (7) other nuisance problems.
1. Noise: As part of the previous permitting process that was conducted on the ATS site a Noise Impact Assessment was conducted and included in the June 2000 Environmental Impact Report. That Noise Impact Assessment was reviewed and updated in the Tech Environmental, Inc. report, “Air Quality and Noise Analysis of the Abington Transfer Station”. With the exception of reducing the tonnage capacity and traffic volume that will utilize the facility, which will reduce the noise from the project, there are no other changes to the project that will effect noise conditions generated by the project. Also there are no significant background changes in the vicinity of the site that would alter the results of the 2000 Noise Impact Assessment. The conclusions of that Assessment were that the then proposed 1,800 ton per day facility resulted in acceptable project sound levels at all community locations including the nearest residences. Sound levels along the southern property line would exceed DEP criteria, but the industrial use of the effected properties would result in no negative impact. A copy of the Noise Impact Assessment is included as Attachment 9 and the Tech Environmental update is in Attachment 8.
2. Dust: Dust suppression measures will be actively taken. The primary and most effective dust control will be the construction of the transfer station’s structural building and the conduct of all handling operations within that structure. The atmosphere of the interior of the building will be adequately controlled so that waste handling operations within the structure will not result in the dispersion of dust to a point where detectable impact to receptors will occur. The transfer station building will be equipped with exhaust fans and dust filters, designed to control air flow and mitigate potential emissions from the building. The fans will be sized such that at least two complete air exchanges will occur per hour. Filters will be replaced as necessary to ensure proper dust capture and airflow. The system will be designed to function effectively with either closed or open doors. The transfer station building will be equipped with a ceiling mounted dust suppression misting system and a chemical addition system for odor control. The misting system creates a mist in the upper areas of the building. As the mist settles, it collects the airborne dust and carries it to the tipping floor. Another dust control method will be the direct application of water to a tipped waste load that is dusty. Yard hydrants are being provided in the transfer station building for this purpose. The hoses will also be used to wash down the tipping floor periodically to reduce dust generation. Additionally, all access roads, parking areas and travel ways will be paved and those paved areas will be regularly cleaned with vacuum sweepers for dust removal.
3. Litter: All vehicles that will transport materials either to or from the ATS facility will be required to be covered in order to prevent incidental littering. All waste handling and unconfined moving operations will be restricted to inside the building, partially shielding and limiting pathways for wind to move the waste as litter. In addition, facility personnel will police the site and abutting properties to pick up any incidental litter that may result from operations.
1. Vermin: The environment around the ATS site is one that includes wetlands and open areas. This environment compels the assumption that there is an existing population of vermin in the vicinity of the site, including rats and insects. ATS will institute a program that will not allow the current vermin population to proliferate. The best counter to the potential vermin problem is to propose best management practices, which will limit the potential access of vermin to the waste, along with an aggressive program of vermin control and monitoring, designed to prevent any problems associated with the site and to adjust the control program based on monitoring results. Overall, vermin control will be implemented by an integrated pest management strategy that will feature best management practices in a tiered approach for all vermin problems. The strategy will involve the following:
Prevention: Various measures specific to the different vermin and pest species will be taken to prevent them from accessing either the site or the waste or readily establishing an identifiable population. These measures include the rapid movement of solid waste through the facility; all handling operations will be conducted inside the building; removal of all waste from and cleaning the tipping floor at the end of each day; installation of barriers such as netting and spikes to prevent roosting; elimination of incidental open water on the site and continual conduct of good overall housekeeping practices.
Traps: The site will maintain species specific traps which will be regularly monitored. The traps will be selected and maintained by a professional exterminator. There are available traps that have proven to be effective in the control of rats, mice, mosquitoes, cockroaches, flies and other vermin. The actual traps employed will be selected by the professional exterminator after careful consideration of the design features and advantages of each method.
Chemical Control; As will be determined by the contracted professional exterminator, chemicals (pesticides, rodenticides, insecticides, etc.) may be applied where deemed appropriate to control observed or anticipated vermin presence. In this way, chemicals will only be applied by a licensed professional, in a manner that will be most effective for the control of vermin, while resulting in no impact to other receptors.
2. Odors: Odors are typically generated by the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream, which the ATS facility will not be accepting. Since only construction & demolition (C & D) waste will be accepted, there is no anticipation of the generation of nuisance odors. The ATS facility, however, will implement a series of odor control procedures and equipment including the handling of all waste within the transfer station building, the use of portable odor suppressant equipment, and the implementation of procedures to ensure that the building remains closed if an odor problem develops. ATS will install a fixed nozzle, mister dust and odor suppressant system, of the same design that has been used successfully at several solid waste transfer stations. Moreover, ATS has committed to the installation of air handling and filtering equipment, as described in the Dust section, above. The addition of the proposed air handling equipment will allow for greater control of air quality in and around the waste handling area.
3. Bird Hazards: Properly designed and managed solid waste transfer stations do not attract birds to any significant degree, as the solid waste is constantly being moved by heavy machines inside a roofed structure. The few number of birds that may be attracted to the facility will not cause a nuisance, let alone be a hazard to aircraft. However, as a precaution, several mitigation measures will be implemented as bird deterrents. The rapid removal of waste from the tipping floor and site reduce the food source access for birds, particularly seagulls. Physical deterrents will be installed in and on the building, including nets, wires and spikes strategically located to repel birds from roosting. These repellant measures along with the substantial distances from the site to airports will eliminate a risk of bird hazards to aircraft.
4. Other: The proposed transfer station will be enclosed within a building. This structure is anticipated to mitigate other nuisance impacts that may be associated with the facility.
h. Size of Facility. No site shall be determined to be suitable or be assigned as a solid waste management facility if the size of the proposed site is insufficient to properly operate and maintain the proposed facility. The minimum distance between the waste handling area or deposition area and the property boundary shall be 100 feet, provided that a shorter distance may be suitable for that portion of the waste handling or deposition area which borders a separate solid waste management facility.
The proposed solid waste transfer operations will be conducted within an adequately sized structure that will include a tipping floor, separation area, transfer trailer loading area and roll-off containers to store the sorted materials. The yard area outside of the structure will provide adequate space for truck maneuvering and storage of empty roll-off containers. The site will be designed to maintain the 100-foot property boundary and 500-foot residence offsets from the waste handling area, which will be within the newly constructed building.
Attachment 2 includes an Existing Conditions Plan and a Site Plan of the existing and proposed ATS facilities. Proposed improvements to the existing facility include the construction of a 32,000 square foot, four-bay building addition for the solid waste transfer station tipping floor and trailer loading areas. All incoming vehicles will stop first at one of the two scales located to the south of the existing building and weigh-in. A scale attendant will be responsible for controlling traffic flow to the tipping floors and recording the full-weight of the incoming material. There is enough room to have at least eight (8) hauling vehicles waiting to weigh-in within the queuing area between Bedford Street and the scales, without blocking access to the site or causing a back-up onto Bedford Street. After being weighed, all incoming vehicles will proceed to the ATS transfer station tipping floors, where at least four vehicles at a time may back in and off-load in the building. There is adequate paved area in front of the transfer station building for at least eight vehicles to wait to enter the building, after they have been weighed, without obstructing the movement of vehicles in this area.
At peak operating conditions, such as described above, approximately twenty two incoming waste loads can be handled by the ATS facility at one time. Assuming that the critical, or controlling, action through the facility is the inspection and dumping operations on the tipping floors; and that these operations will conservatively take no more than ten minutes to complete; and that four trucks can be conducting these operations simultaneously; then the station can handle 24 vehicles per hour. With an estimated average of eight to ten tons of waste per incoming load, the assumed hourly operating capacity of the station is between 192 and 240 tons per hour, which is between approximately 32% and 40% of the facility’s permitted capacity. With a daily permitted capacity of 600 tons per day and a twelve hour operating day, the average hourly permitted capacity is 50 tons per hour. Consequently, the estimated operating capacity of between 192 and 240 tons per hour represents approximately a four to five times (3.8x to 4.8x) peaking factor above the average hourly permitted capacity. As noted in Attachment 6, Traffic Impact Study, the actual peak hour incoming waste hauling vehicle rate is estimated to be about 9.5 vehicles (19 trips per hour), thus the facility size is capable of handling over double the anticipated peak incoming vehicle rate.
i. Areas Previously Used for Solid Waste Disposal. Where an area adjacent to the site of a proposed facility has been previously used for solid waste disposal the following factors shall be considered by the Department in determining whether a site is suitable and by the board of health in determining whether to assign a site:
1. The nature and extent to which the prior solid waste activities on the adjacent site currently adversely impact or threaten to adversely impact the proposed site.
2. The nature and extent to which the proposed site may impact the site previously used for solid waste disposal.
3. The nature and extent to which the combined impacts of the proposed site and the previously used adjacent site adversely impact the public health, safety, and the environment taking into consideration:
a. whether the proposed site is an expansion of or constitutes beneficial integration of the solid waste activities with the adjacent site; b. whether the proposed facility is related to the closure and/or remedial activities at the adjacent site; c. the extent to which the design and operation of the proposed facility will mitigate existing or potential impacts from the adjacent site.
These criteria are not applicable to the ATS facility, since there are no adjacent areas that have been used for solid waste disposal.
i. Existing Facilities. In evaluating proposed sites for new solid waste management facilities the Department and the board of health shall give preferential consideration to sites located in municipalities in which no existing landfill or solid waste combustion facilities are located. This preference shall be applied only to new facilities which will not be for the exclusive use of the municipality in which the site is located. The Department and the board of health shall weigh such preference against the following considerations when the proposed site is located in a community with an existing disposal facility:
a. the extent to which the municipality’s or region’s solid waste needs will be met by the proposed facility; b. the extent to which the proposed facility incorporates recycling, composting, or waste diversion activities.
There are no existing landfills or combustion facilities in Abington. The proposed facility is new and will not be for the exclusive use of the Town of Abington, thus the proposed ATS facility should be given preferential consideration.
k. Consideration of Other Sources of Contamination or Pollution. The determination of whether a site is suitable and should be assigned as a solid waste management facility shall consider whether the projected impacts of the proposed facility pose a threat to public health, safety or the environment, taking into consideration the impacts of existing sources of pollution or contamination as defined by the Department, and whether the proposed facility will mitigate or reduce those sources of pollution or contamination.
In accordance with Department guidance, ATS has prepared a Facility Impact Assessment (FIA) in order to assess the potential impact of the proposed facility in conjunction with other local potential sources of contamination or pollution. The conclusion of the FIA is that there will be no significant impacts to receptors in the vicinity of the site and that Best Management Practices will be employed to mitigate any potential impacts from the facility. The FIA is included in Attachment 10 of this Application.
l. Regional Participation. The Department and the board of health shall give preferential consideration to sites located in municipalities not participating in a regional disposal facility. The Department and the board of health shall weigh such preference against the following considerations when the proposed site is located in a community participating in a regional disposal facility:
According to the DEP and the Town of Abington, there are no immediate plans for the Town of Abington to participate in a regional solution of providing transfer stations and recycling facilities. In accordance with the site assignment regulations, the DEP and the Abington Board of Health should give preferential consideration to sites located in municipalities not participating in regional solutions.
1. the extent to which the proposed facility meets the municipality’s and the region’s solid waste management needs; and The proposed facility contributes to the Town of Abington and its region’s ability to provide an economic and efficient means to handle construction and demolition (C & D) debris and recyclables to the private and public sectors.
2. the extent to which the proposed facility incorporates recycling, composting, or waste diversion activities.
The proposed facility includes recyclable handling and limited C & D material separation processing operations. Waste ban materials will be separated from the waste stream for transport to processors or recyclers.
SECTION IV. INTEGRATED SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
Not applicable.
SECTION V. WAIVERS
ATS is not requesting any waivers of the Site Suitability Criteria. |
|
REACT to TRASH, Residents Environmentally Active, Email -- reacttrash@hotmail.com Government was "Made for the people. Made by the people. And answerable to the people." Daniel Webster |