DATE: November 28, 2018
TO: Board of Mayor and Aldermen
FROM: Eric Stuckey, City Administrator
Mark Hilty, Assistant City Administrator Public Works
Jack Tucker, Sanitation and Environmental Services Director
SUBJECT:
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Discussion of Wood Waste Disposal Options (Deferred from 12/11/18 WS)
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Purpose
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide information to the Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA) concerning disposal of wood waste processed by the Sanitation and Environmental Services (SES) Department.
Background
The SES Department currently processes and disposes of wood waste from curbside collection services and from various other City operations. The approximately 3,500 tons/year of material are passed through a grinder and loaded onto trailers that are disposed of at a landfill.
The Williamson County Landfill implemented a fee, going from $0/ton to $40/ton that went into effect July 1, 2018. The SES Department started evaluating alternatives earlier this year and has since started hauling chipped wood waste to Bi-County Landfill. SES looked at various alternatives including “mulch” suppliers, landfill options and the use of an air-curtain burner. Through this process the air-curtain burner was identified as a cost-effective solution that improves the Department’s environmental stewardship position in terms of emissions and reduces noise and dust near the residential areas behind the transfer station.
The proposed operation would include incineration of wood waste at an estimated 95% reduction of material. The ash would then be transported onsite to the transfer station for disposal. The throughput of the air-curtain burner is anticipated to be 5-7 tons/hour which may provide the opportunity to again accept wood waste from commercial haulers in the future. This will be evaluated during the implementation process.
Financial Impact
The cost of purchase and installation is estimated to be $160,000 ($138,000 equipment cost). Through transitioning the operation, SES anticipates there will be surplus equipment including the grinder, a road tractor and trailer. Based on feedback from Fleet Management, it is estimated that this equipment will provide approximately $350,000 of revenue with a net revenue of approximately $190,000.
Recommendation
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Staff recommends the BOMA allow staff to proceed with this transition of operations with respect to wood waste processing and disposal.