HomeMy WebLinkAbout03.23.23 Staff ReportJEFFERSON COUNTY, WA
SOLID WASTE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
March 23, 2023 STAFF REPORT
Transfer Station Operational Revisions
Customer demand has been spreading out throughout the week as hoped for. Gains are being made on
deferred maintenance and staff development. Overtime has been greatly reduced and staff can now
make and keep vacation dates, improving work/life balance and staff retention.
Transfer Station Improvements
The transfer station operational hours allow for facility improvements on Mondays when staff are not
servicing self-haul customers. Capital improvements scheduled for Spring and Fall 2023 are:
• New scale software implementation
• Electronic entrance gate installation
Quilcene Drop Box Improvements/Revisions
Planning is underway for the extension of the asphalted area and revision of bin locations at Quilcene
for more efficient material management. Presently transitioning away from part-time and toward a full-
time employee and considering revising the days of operation from Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to
Thursday, Friday and Saturday to make staff scheduling easier.
Equipment Purchase
Staff is developing specifications for the purchase of a telescoping forklift with certain attachments for
safer and more efficient material management at both facilities.
Moderate Risk Waste Program
Three residential household hazardous waste collection events are scheduled for remaining 2023:
• April 15th, 10 am - 2 pm
Jefferson County Roads Shop, 371 Chimacum Road, Port Hadlock
• September 16th, 10 am - 2 pm
Quilcene Roads Shop, 295316 Hwy 101, Quilcene
• September 30th, 10 am - 2 pm
Jefferson Transit Haines Park & Ride, 440 12th St, Port Townsend
Transfer Station Replacement Planning Process
The third meeting of the Solid Waste Facility Task Force was held on March 10 with adoption of the
Team Charter and Workplan. The SWFTF reviewed a “report card” of the current facilities ability to
meet current demand and began discussing what would additional services are wanted in a remodeled
or new facility.
Climate Action Committee
By request, staff presented the work to date on facility replacement planning at a Climate Action
Committee meeting on March 14. Staff has also worked with the Climate Action Committee on
comparing the carbon footprint between self-haul customers and the WUTC hauler, Waste Connections.
Fuel consumption per ton of material delivered was used as a common metric to gauge the amount of
greenhouse gas emissions created by the two delivery models.
The table below shows that Waste Connections uses less than half the fuel as transfer station self-
haulers to deliver a ton of MSW.
User Group Fuel Gallons per Ton of MSW
Self-haul: Transfer Station 7.68
Self-haul: Quilcene 22.21
WUTC Hauler (Curbside Service) 3.71
The table below shows that Waste Connections uses less fuel per annum than self-haulers to deliver
more than double the tonnage of MSW.
User Group 2022 Fuel Consumption 2022 Tons of MSW
Self-haul: All Sites 74,135 9,196
WUTC Hauler (Curbside Service) 71,448 19,240
If we wish to reduce our operational carbon footprint then we should encourage more curbside service.
This can be done by adjusting the minimum fee upward and siting the transfer station further from
urban areas.
Fee Schedule
Staff continues to work on a rate study and will meet with the BoCC to recommend a new schedule of
fees for the transfer station and Quilcene rural drop box. The current minimum fee is less than half of
the regional average and this will need to be adjusted in order to incentivize fewer, heavier loads and to
encourage residents outside of Port Townsend to subscribe for curbside service.
2023 State Legislative Session
The Washington Recycling and Packaging (WRAP) Act would have established an extended producer
responsibility program for certain packaging and paper and would have placed the burden on producers
to fund recycling programs in WA State. The bill died in committee after heavy lobbying from waste
haulers and the chemical industry.