Proposed Transfer Station Provides Long-Range Options Population Growth Is Stressing Existing Solid Waste System

Kootenai County has experienced dramatic growth over the past 10 years. In 1990 there were more than 69,000 people living in Kootenai County. By the year 2000, the county’s population has exceeded 105,000. This growth has stressed the existing utility infrastructure to a point that changes must occur. The solid waste system is no exception.

Kootenai County waste comes from a variety of sources, including private citizens and commercial activities. It is brought through the Ramsey Road Transfer Station by wheeled vehicles including private vehicles, commercial vehicles and garbage trucks. Generally, Kootenai County does not own or operate garbage trucks. This function is left to private companies. The one exception is the rural collection system. Kootenai County contracts with a private company to collect rural residential garbage.

The rural program is broken into three contracts. The rural collection in the northern portion of the county is collected from three sites with a total of 39 10-yard containers. The west side of Coeur d’Alene Lake has 21 10-yard containers located at five sites and the east side of the lake has 28 10-yard drop boxes found at 10 sites.

In fiscal year 2001, there is more than $900,000 budgeted for collection of refuse at the 18 rural collection sites, which accounts for almost 22,000 tons annually.

More than 60 percent of the refuse generated from the rural collection system is generated from the three northern sites. This is far more garbage than was intended for a rural collection system. In addition to the rural residential waste, there is an increasing amount of unauthorized or illegal waste. Items often found that should not be placed in the rural system include any out-of-county waste, tires, furniture, appliances, brush and yard debris, construction waste and demolition. Most alarming is the increased incidents of illegal disposal of hazardous waste, including residue and the remains of methamphetamine labs.

As early as 1993, Kootenai County began to see trends that would indicate the solid waste infrastructure would need modification. The Panhandle Health District conducted a computer-generated study that identified the “waste sheds” for each rural collection site in the five northern counties.

This study used the 1990 census to identify the numbers of citizens who use each of the rural facilities. Once the base-line data was developed, several excursions were generated to help identify possible site alternatives. This study also proposed several possible improvements to make the rural collection system more efficient.

For Kootenai County, the study identified possible locations for future transfer stations once the rural collection sites became overused. It suggested that these facilities should be centrally located to service the local population. In North Kootenai County, the study recommended a transfer station in the general vicinity of Garwood. It was felt that this area was centrally located and provides adequate transportation corridors to make this area the most efficient for a transfer station.

We also researched trends in solid waste by talking to members of other communities that either retained or closed their landfills to meet new EPA landfill requirements. What was found was that the local landfill remained the least expensive solid waste disposal option and provided leverage for regional disposal options. Communities that retained their local landfill tended to do better when negotiating with large regional disposal companies because they maintained flexibility. Those communities that lost their local disposal option tended to pay more.

In the search for the location of a new transfer station, we developed several criteria for selection. They included a central location, good road network with access from as many directions as possible and located on a rail. The rail option was necessary to maintain long-term flexibility and provide the most cost effective transportation option should we need to haul to a regional landfill.

Eventually, there were six properties identified as potential transfer station sites. Three properties were located on the Union Pacific Railroad and three on the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe.

There were other initiatives that the solid waste department pursued to handle growth. The existing transfer station at Ramsey Road has very high customer counts. In 1999, there were more than 200,000 customer transactions. Several days had over 1,000 customers in a nine-hour day use the facility. This has created long lines on Ramsey Road and internal queuing problems.

A redesign of this facility developed options for a commercial tipping area, changed traffic patterns providing for in and outbound scales and an over-flow area. As of this writing, the segregation of commercial and residential tipping floors has been installed. The remaining items have not been implemented.

A second problem was identified at the Fighting Creek Landfill. Originally, the landfill was designed to accept waste for 25 years. That life has been shortened to 16 years because of the rapid growth. In 1999, the Fighting Creek Landfill received more than 105,000 tons of refuse. These rates continue to grow at 4 percent annually.

To handle this problem, the county decided to pursue permission to expand the landfill on the remaining available property directly adjacent to the landfill. In February 2000, we successfully permitted enough additional property to assure a local landfill well into the 2030’s. This action created the ability to leverage a waste disposal option that would be useful for developing reduced costs to a regional facility if needed.

The Solid Waste Department currently is pursuing a conditional use permit for a transfer station in the northern portion of the county. The property selected is located near the Chilco/Ramsey Road intersection. This site was selected because of its central location with access points from all directions. It also is located on the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Railroad.

The railroad has indicated that a rail spur could be constructed on the property to accommodate an intermodal shipping facility for hauling garbage to a regional facility of our choosing. A design concept has been submitted with the permit application.

This design addresses many of the problems identified at the Ramsey Transfer Station. There is much better queuing, improved recycling and the ability to handle household hazardous waste. If this facility is approved, it eventually will replace the three rural collection sites in the northern portion of Kootenai County.

The direct result is improved control, safety and customer service to our customer. It provides for the ability to screen out-of-county waste and charge for commercial disposal. It will be less convenient in terms of operating hours. This facility would be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. (Currently, the rural collection system is unregulated and is open 24 hours a day.)

As part of the permit application, we have conducted a traffic study in the area. The study indicates that the peak over 20 years could be as high as 160 vehicles per hour. Generally, peaks occur infrequently but they are used for planning purposes to assure the facility is sized correctly. The county cannot direct the private citizen in their route selection to this facility.

For those vehicles the county controls, Chilco Road will be the primary access point. This road will have to be upgraded to all-weather capability. Chilco Road currently has a significant density of logging trucks. While garbage trucks do not weigh as much as the logging trucks, they will require a good, all-season road to meet the transport needs. Initially, we expect four to six round-trips a day to the landfill at Fighting Creek. These densities will go up as the facility receives more waste.

The new transfer station, if approved, helps solve a significant problem that continues to grow each year. It provides better service, a safer system and long-range options that should keep the solid waste system healthy for the coming years.

This sidebar appeared with the story: LET US KNOW

Handle Extra asked the Kootenai County Solid Waste Department to explain the details and reasoning behind the proposal to build a solid waste transfer station near Garwood. What do you think about the plan? We’d like to hear from you. Send your comments by e-mail to kens@spokesman.com; fax to 765-7149; by mail to The Idaho Spokesman-Review, 608 Northwest Blvd. Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83814.