Solid Waste Management for New Hanover County

New Hanover County Landfill

Cape Fear River Watch (CFRW) supports the environmentally safe and efficient handling of solid waste in New Hanover County (NHC) to maximize re-use and recycling and minimize the need to landfill and incinerate. We of course realize that the large amount of waste generated by the county requires the operation of a “state of the art landfill”, which NHC currently has, and an upgraded incinerator that will meet or exceed both the current and the forthcoming EPA guidelines for emissions and fly ash.

We have attended the meetings held by the Solid Waste Advisory Board (SWAB) which served to review the numerous issues surrounding solid waste handling and management in NHC. At that time, CFRW offered its opinions on the management of Solid Waste in the county with specific recommendations, some of which were those researched by SWAB. Recommendations formulated by the SWAB were presented to the NHC County Commissioners on January 20, 2009. Following this presentation, the NHC County Commissioners elected to develop a request for proposals (RFP) and solicit bids from private contractors to manage the County’s solid waste needs. This recently released RFP does not provide incentives or reward the bidder’s efforts to reduce loadings to the landfill, reduce emissions from the incinerator, or provide a plan to move New Hanover County towards an encompassing system that will serve us in the future. It is structured instead to favor a low cost bidder without any incentives to increase recycling or to upgrade WASTEC. The RFP should be structured to reward the investment of the bidders in a system that is designed to serve the public good rather than just reducing the short-term cost. It would have also been beneficial to allow public and scientific input into this plan. We hope, in this regard, that you will consider our input when you are reviewing the RFPs.

CFRW believes that the County should leave the important job of managing our solid waste in the hands of the county employees currently managing our waste or award the contract to a company who will put forth an aggressive set of goals to reduce our solid waste by a total county-wide recycling program. We should focus on the reduction of county demands for additional landfill space and waste incineration but without “just transporting” our waste problem to another site. In order to accomplish these goals, the County and/or the contractor should develop and implement county-wide plans for increased re-use and recycling of both household and construction and demolition materials. These materials should be viewed as resources and not waste. Our goal should be a more sustainable solid waste management plan that is both economically and environmentally attractive to businesses, tourism, and to our residents. It should be one that minimizes harm to our natural areas and reduces the use of natural resources.

In order to accomplish the above, a comprehensive strategy must be developed that incorporates a transition strategy to cope with current demands and realities while setting the stage for an environmentally friendly solid waste management plan. We list several of our recommendations below that should be considered in this comprehensive plan.

County-Wide Curbside Recycling

The inclusion of a mandatory curbside recycling program for all residential and commercial customers in the unincorporated areas of New Hanover County is a critical factor that would reduce the amount of solid waste going into the landfill or incinerator, as well as to increase the responsible re-use of natural resources. The existing drop-off sites in the county are inadequate for the county and do not promote active recycling. To address this problem, CFRW encourages the County to explore partnering with the City of Wilmington’s successful curbside recycling program. If immediate county-wide recycling cannot be implemented (economic concerns), then a phased approach should be initiated with high density areas given priority. Drop-off sites will be maintained to insure that all residents have the opportunity and are encouraged to recycle until county-wide curbside recycling is available.

CFRW proposes that a single-stream recycling or a materials recycling facility be developed in the future plan. The facility should be a regional collection point and a model for recycling that could serve the local and regional needs. Single stream recycling means that recyclable items do not need to be separated prior to collection, saving transport and handling costs and making it easier for people to recycle. Such a facility will generate additional, much needed jobs within the County. And with new state rules restricting the disposal of certain materials (plastic, etc.), recycling is not only a potential revenue source but a state mandate as of October 1, 2009. Furthermore, trash haulers should be required to pick up hazardous materials from residences such as auto wet cell batteries, electronics, and paint from residential customers several times annually and provide a drop-off location for disposal throughout the year.

Landfill Management

NHC has one of the best designed and operated landfills in North Carolina. The landfill exceeds North Carolina and Federal standards for containing solid waste, and the leachate created is treated through constructed wetlands and/or with a water treatment facility that provide for the proper management of this potentially harmful material. However, the real issue is space. Currently the capacity of the northern site is about 9 million cubic yards, of which 6 million cubic yards have already been used. Reducing the introduction of recyclable materials (household and Construction and Demolition) and other waste (Waste Incineration – see below) into the landfill will help but until we can approach a zero-waste program we will still need some additional landfill space. Well planned and designed use of the current cell areas and limited expansion south of the current area can provide needed storage and extend the life of our landfill. It is critical that any expansion does no harm to the surrounding areas and that leachate be handled as it is now to prevent any contamination of the groundwater and/or the adjacent NE Cape Fear River.

One other consideration for the landfill involves the possible installation of landfill gas collection facilities, assuming adequate gas is now being generated. Capture and use of the landfill gas (CH4, CO2, and minor other gases) provides important energy and environmental benefits. Landfill gas may provide an energy source that directly reduces atmospheric pollution while qualifying for renewable energy production incentives.

WASTEC Management

WASTEC

The WASTEC incinerator functions to ultimately reduce the volume of material entering the County’s landfill. WASTEC currently handles approximately 46% or 140,000 tons of the solid waste generated in NHC on an annual basis (SWAB study). In this regard, it is a critical component in the management of NHC’s current solid waste. However, according to SWAB, upgrades are needed to bring it up to a peak operating efficiency of +90%.

Utilizing already installed technologies and upgrading WASTEC with the best available technologies to insure strict compliance to state and federal standards are critical facets of an interim strategy to handle NHC solid waste. Along with these upgrades, continuous monitoring of emissions is essential. With these improvements Cape Fear River Watch supports the use of the incinerator as a component of the overall solution. The upgrade would allow the incinerator to operate at peak efficiency, handle more wastes, and with improved materials handling and decreased by-products, the energy generated may qualify for Renewable Energy tax incentives. A peak operating WASTEC could produce up to 30,000 Mwh of electricity annually (enough to power 3,500 homes – SWAB study).

Incineration, like landfilling, is not a preferred method for waste handling but we recognize its need to handle a portion of our waste. We believe that upgrades would allow the incinerator to minimize emissions while handling even more trash. As EPA considers and will soon implement new limits on GHG and other emissions, perhaps including particulates, it is critical that upgrades will insure that the incinerator meet and hopefully exceed the new standards. This would illustrate to NHC and the State that our county is committed to an environmentally friendly place to live, work, and visit.

Construction & Demolition Debris Recycling

CFRW supports the building of a state of the art C& D recycling facility that insures that the maximum amount of C&D materials are recycled.

Educational Campaign

It is critical that the residents of NHC be educated about the issues of solid waste handling and management. Citizens have a major role to play by not only reducing the amount of solid waste but also in insuring that more hazardous waste is kept out of residential bins. These types of waste create additional problems for both the landfill and the incinerator as leachate and emissions, respectively. As mentioned above, additional hazardous waste collection days and a drop off location would help this issue.

CFRW believes that investments in county-wide recycling, state of the art recycling facilities, improved C&D facilities, upgrades and maintenance of WASTEC, and expansion of the landfill are essential. These steps will provide NHC with the opportunity to handle all of its solid waste and the potential to become a recognized leader in solid waste management in the region and in NC as we transition from waste handling to waste reduction that will lead to reduced needs for landfill space and incineration.

Since the goal of the tournament, and of CFRW’s Cape Fear River Striper Foundation, is the preservation and restoration of the Cape Fear River fishery for generations to come, it is only fitting that the tournament reach out to and include the next generation of anglers.

Junior Anglers (who will be between the ages of 12 and 16 on January 16, the day of the tournament) wishing to fish in the tournament are asked to submit a 500-1,000 word essay on the topic “How a Strong and Healthy Cape Fear River Fishery Will Benefit The Entire Region.” The winning essay will convey the angler’s passion for conservation minded fishing as well as his or her understanding of the special characteristics of the Cape Fear River fishery. Proper spelling and grammar are also strongly encouraged.

Entries may be submitted online at http://www.cfrw.us/striperessay.html until December 17th.  The winner will be selected by the board of the Cape Fear River Striper Foundation, whose decision will be final.

The Cape Fear River Watch Invitational Striper Tournament is an annual tournament to celebrate the magnificent striped bass of the Cape Fear River and to raise awareness of the decline of the once bountiful fishery on the river. The fishermen and guides involved with the tournament hope to restore not only striped bass but the total fishery – including shad, river herring, and sturgeon populations as well. The Cape Fear Fishery Restoration Foundation has been established to receive funds and implement the goals of the tournament.

The tournament is held in partnership with NC Fish & Wildlife.  All fish caught in the tournament will be tagged, measured and released to be caught again while providing important census data to State fisheries scientists.

For those true environmentalists who recognized that rain is a part of the environment and can’t get enough of the great music, click on the links for the bands’ homepages and full schedules – no need to wait for 2009.

L Shape Acoustic – Wow.  Two guys and two guitars is a pretty simple formula to produce a LOT of good music.  Catch the full band (L Shape Lot, with rhythm section) on October 16th at WHQR or at October 24th’s Downtown Sundown Celebration.

Ron Etheridge and Travis Shallow – Two more guys and two more guitars – and the formula doesn’t get tired. Watch for these guys around Wrightsville Beach and check out their videos.

Sera Harold – Sera shares an office with River Watch as part of her day job so we already knew she was pretty cool. Now everybody else knows it as well.

Daniel Parish – If you follow the Wilmington music scene at all you already knew Daniel Parish was the real thing. Look for him at Wilson’s on a fairly regular basis.

The Cedar Circuit -  Cedar, Cypress, whatever. Who knew that acoustic and funk went together so well?

The Clams – Never mind the clown hair, the gorilla mask, or the local celebrity on guitar – these guys were the real thing. Look for them playing at the Latino Festival.

After School Special – It was dark, it was raining, people had been dancing in the rain for 7 hours and were tired. That’s a tough crowd and After School Special owned them heart and soul from the first beat. What a great finish. Look for A.S.S. at 16 Taps on Halloween and next day at the Battleship for the Triathlon.

CFRW’s classic paddling guide Blackwater Paradise: A Canoeing Guide to the Northeast Cape Fear and its Tributaries by CFRW co-founder Bruce Watkins has sold out. That should come as no surprise as it’s one of the finest regional paddling guides written.

We’re hoping to print another run of Blackwater Paradise soon  but we’d like to hear from our paddling members how they’ve annotated their own copies and incorporate that information in the next edition.  Do you have notes like “better access at south side of bridge” or “fallen trees 2 miles up” penciled in the margins? Share.  

Send your suggested updates and annotations to Kemp Burdette or call him at 910-762-5606. 

Cape Fear River Watch

Position Statement Summary

Cape Fear River Watch (CFRW) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and improvement the water quality of the Lower Cape Fear River Basin through education, advocacy, and action.  With this mission in mind, we have carefully considered and evaluated the potential impacts associated with Carolina Cement Company’s (Titan America) plans to develop a cement plant and mining operation here in New Hanover County.  Unfortunately we have learned that this proposed industry, which would be situated along the banks of the Northeast Cape Fear, would undoubtedly cause irreplaceable harm to the important natural resources in and around the plant.  Therefore, CFRW has taken a position strongly against the development of this project as it is proposed.

The natural communities in and around the Northeast Cape Fear River in proximity to the proposed cement production facility are widely considered to be pristine.  These communities include vast wetlands, habitats for threatened species, and prime fishing and recreation areas.  CFRW is specifically concerned about the following environmental impacts that would be encountered if this plant to be built:

·      The destruction of up to 600 acres of pristine wetlands, which the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish & Wildlife has referred to as a “Resource of National Importance” in their initial comments to the Corp of Engineers. They have agreed with our position that these wetlands aren non-replaceable by indicating that the “impact to these resources may be unmitigable.”

·      The contamination of air and water quality due to emissions of high levels of mercury, Chromium-VI, and other pollutants into waters that are already declared mercury impaired on the Federal 303d list.

·      Dewatering and depletion of the aquifer due to the mining of limestone and the potential to contaminate the aquifers through salt water intrusion or the quarrying process.

·      The direct discharge of sediment and contaminants into the Northeast Cape Fear River.

We have developed the enclosed in-depth statement that outlines in great detail the concerns we have with the development of the Titan America plant. It is extremely important that we do not allow Titan America to bring the pollution and destruction of natural resources associated with their industry to the banks of the Northeast Cape Fear River.

Thank you for your interest in this matter.  Feel free to contact me to discuss further.

Sincerely,

Doug Springer

Cape Fear River Watch Executive Director

RiverKeeper

Click HERE for the full position statement

To that end Cape Fear River Watch is sponsoring the First Annual Greenfield Lake Cypress Festival on Saturday, October 11th.  This will be an all day event at the Greenfield Lake Amphitheater featuring live music, displays by various local environmentally minded organizations, an eco-treasure hunt, pirate storytelling, cypress walks, food and beverages, discounted paddle boat rides and who knows what else.

Individual tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the gate.  Family pack tickets are $20 in advance or $25 day of show.

If you’d like to attend, exhibit, perform, volunteer or just ask some questions, check out the festival’s very own myspace page and then call Joe Abbate at 910-200-4002.

Name the Boat

Cape Fear River Watch is now the proud owner of a new (to us) non-emitting, battery powered, electric excursion boat on Greenfield Lake. This will be a big step up in both comfort and capacity from the big red electric canoe CFRW has been using to conduct tours of the lake.  The boat still needs a few upgrades/fixes before it’s ready for passengers (little things like seats and extra battery capacity need to be added) but it will soon be cleanly and silently plying the waters of Wilmington’s urban cypress eco-system taking passengers in search of migrating waterfowl, big ‘gators, ancient trees or photogenic scenes, depending on the tour and the time of year.

What the boat needs next is a name.  So we’re announcing our first ever “Name the Electric Boat” contest.  Kids under 16 are invited to send in their suggestions for the new boat’s name.  The name should suggest Greenfield’s alligators. The winner will receive a free Greenfield Lake Gator Tour for up to 6 guests.  The winning entry will be chosen by the RIVERKEEPER and announced at the Cypress Festival.  Send your entries to nametheboat@cfrw.us.

Cape Fear River Watch, Inc. is Looking for a Few Good Women and Men!

CFRW seeks to add several members to our Board of Directors.

And, unlike the U.S. Marines, whose classic ad we plagiarized for this solicitation, you don’t have to go to boot camp nor do you have to travel to the far ends of the earth. We need you right here in our Cape Fear River basin!

We have an active, hands-on Board that oversees, and sometimes initiates the activities of our nonprofit organization. We meet monthly to set policy, review programs, organize fund raising efforts etc.

Extensive knowledge of the river or water quality issues is NOT a prerequisite…what we need are people who care about the river, its watershed and the quality of life in the region and who are willing to get involved in its stewardship.

Please respond if you have any questions about Cape Fear River Watch or the responsibilities of Board members.  If you would like to be considered for a seat on the Cape Fear River Watch Board of Directors, please respond with some information about yourself and why you would like to be a Board member.  Respond to:

Jane M Hartley, Chair

CFRW Nominating Committee

Ncstp555@aol.com

Kemp is a native Wilmingtonian – born on the banks of the Cape Fear and raised fishing and boating its waters. He’s a graduate of New Hanover High School where he played soccer and ran cross country (Go Wildcats!) and of UNCW where he double majored in History and Geology. Though he’s called the Cape Fear home all of his life, he’s seen a bit of the world. In addition to being stationed in the Far East for 4 years as a US Navy Rescue Swimmer, Kemp spent a year in Nicaragua as an “Agricultural Extensionist” with the Peace Corps and traveled around Newfoundland for a year visiting remote fishing outposts as a Fulbright Scholar studying maritime history.

Since returning to Wilmington Kemp has completed the Duke University Certificate in Nonprofit Management and begun work on a Master’s Degree in Public Administration at UNCW while working for Habitat for Humanity for the past three years. Many of you may already be familiar with him from the work he did organizing May’s Sturgeon Creek “Day on the River.” He knows his way around the regional nonprofit scene.

One of Kemp’s first and biggest challenges will be to tackle CFRW’s somewhat-less-than-complete membership database. That’s going to mean . . . renewal letters. If you haven’t paid any CFRW membership dues since you entered the drawing to win a hybrid car in 2006 – it’s time to renew. Kemp has set some lofty goals for CFRW membership and that’s going to mean keeping old members and recruiting new ones. So if you have any ideas or suggestions for how he might accomplish this, or you’d like to be neighborly and welcome him aboard, or if you just want to razz the new guy, drop Kemp an e-mail. And if you see him walking up the street, have your checkbook ready.

Bringing Back the Cape Fear River Fisheries

A Return of Abundance

Established in 1993, Cape Fear Riverwatch is a non-profit organization dedicated to the improvement and preservation of the health, beauty, cleanliness, and heritage of the Cape Fear River basin. Our mission is to protect and improve the water quality of the Lower Cape Fear River Basin through education, advocacy and action.

Background:

In 1910, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) authorized the construction of the first of three lock and dams on the Cape Fear River. Lock and Dam #1 was completed in 1915 and shortly afterward Lock and Dam #2 was constructed in 1917. And in 1935, William O. Huske Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam #3) was completed. The three lock and dams on the Cape Fear River are located at 39, 71, and 95 miles above Wilmington, North Carolina. These structures were initially authorized by the USACE to ensure a navigable channel for commercial barge traffic from Wilmington to Fayetteville, 111 miles upriver. For many years, river commerce thrived and industries flourished.
While the economies of Fayetteville, Wilmington and the surrounding counties prospered as a result of river commerce, anadromous fish populations such as American shad, Striped bass, Blue back herring, Atlantic and Shortnose sturgeon began to decline. These fish spend their entire lives in the ocean and return to the rivers where they were born in order to spawn. These fish must have access to their traditional spawning grounds located far above Fayetteville in order to support their populations. Now there was a concrete structure blocking the way. The year after Lock and Dam #1 was completed, the Wilmington Morning Star printed an article about the immediate collapse of the shad fishery above Lock and Dam #1. American shad, prior to the construction of the lock and dam system on the Cape Fear River, was considered to be the most economically valuable fish species in North Carolina. Local communities that depended upon the return of American shad every year were now struggling without the extra incomes provided by this fish that once turned the river silver with their incredible numbers. For many decades the fading fisheries that supported so many families were ignored in exchange for commercial growth of the Cape Fear region. Presently, the American shad spawning runs up the Cape Fear River are but a shadow of their historical numbers. Shortnose sturgeon are listed as an “Endangered Species” in the Cape Fear River by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The Blue back herring fishery, just as economically important to many eastern communities as the American shad fishery was in the early twentieth century, now has a total fishing ban in the Cape Fear River basin.
In 1997, a fish ladder was installed at Lock and Dam #1 to aid American shad and Blue back herring to pass over the dam and gain access to an additional 33 miles of river. However, the fish ladder failed to pass an adequate number of fish nor was it successful in passing other species of anadromous fish such as sturgeon or striped bass. A nature-like fish passage was then proposed by the USACE and would involve re-creating a stream through the adjacent floodplain at Lock and Dam #1 which would allow migrating fish to swim around the dam and re-enter the Cape Fear River approximately 2000 feet upstream of the Dam. Beginning in 2002, the USACE began studying the pre-construction conditions of the Cape Fear River from Lock and Dam #1 to Wilmington. This study would include a comprehensive tag and recapture program tracking the migratory patterns of anadromous fish species of the Cape Fear River. For three years American shad, Striped bass, and Atlantic sturgeon were captured, fitted with sonic tags, and tracked up and down the Cape Fear River in order to learn more about their current population and the extent to which these fish utilize the Cape Fear River in their life histories. This study documented the presence of a small population of American shad and Striped bass that still return to the river each year. It also documented the absence of sturgeon species as well, confirming the realities of a river system segmented by dams. Even though the USACE has been performing regular passage of fish through the lock chambers at all three dams for many years, the numbers of fish that actually pass to the upstream side of the dams are minimal. It is estimated that only 40% of the fish that reach Lock and Dam #1 pass through the regular lock passages. Repeat this scenario at the remaining two lock and dams and it is easy to see that only a very small number of the fish needed to sustain a healthy population are actually reaching their spawning grounds. In 2005, due to funding difficulties at the federal level, the nature-like fish passage construction was postponed indefinitely and a study was instigated to re-evaluate the lock and dam system as a whole.

In 2006, the USACE began a study, Section 216, to re-evaluate the status of the three Lock and Dams and and to recommend a plan for their future. These lock and dams were constructed to maintain a navigable channel for commercial traffic between Wilmington and Fayetteville. However, from 1965 to 1995, commercial traffic steadily declined and in 1995, only one barge was reported to have been passed through Lock and Dam #1 during the entire year. The bulk of the usage for three lock and dams has been locking recreational boats up and down river. The USACE still incurs an annual cost of $1 million dollars in order to operate and maintain these lock and dams even though they are not performing their intended purpose. Currently the USACE is studying the feasibility of either changing the purpose of the dams, altering the construction of the dams in order to provide fish passage, removing the dams, or de-authorizing the dams to allow a private entity to take over their control and maintenance. This study is still on-going and is near completion. Many factors have to be examined and considered before a final plan for the lock and dams can be approved. Most importantly, the City of Wilmington and Lower Brunswick Sewer Authority both have water supply intakes located just upstream of Lock and Dam #1. The City of Fayetteville depends upon Lock and Dam # 3 for creating a dependable water supply. These secondary uses of the lock and dams (providing consistent water supplies) poses a difficult problem because these facilities cannot be moved or altered without great expense.
Position: The Board of Directors of Cape Fear River Watch (CFRW), a community grassroots organization whose mission is conservation of the Cape Fear River, is concerned about the future of the lock and dam system on the Cape Fear River. Anadromous fish populations such as the Striped bass, American Shad, Blueback herring and Shortnose and Atlantic sturgeons have suffered from human impacts throughout their range, from water quality degradation in the Cape Fear watershed, overfishing in the ocean and river, and perhaps most significantly, the lack of adequate passage through the lock and dam system on the Cape Fear River effectively eliminating access to historical spawning grounds far above Fayetteville. We encourage the USACE to continue its current “216 Study” of the changing role of the aging lock and dam system on the Cape Fear River and to consider all feasible alternatives to the locks that achieve the goals of all stakeholders with an interest in the Cape Fear River Basin. Cape Fear River Watch strongly supports the current alternative posed by the USACE to place rock arch rapids on the downstream side of each dam in order to provide sufficient passage of anadromous fish over the top of the dams versus through the lock chambers.
Action:In order to facilitate the transfer of information from the USACE to the general public, CFRW has initiated a public forum, inviting members of public to participate in an exchange of questions and ideas with representatives of the USACE, N. C. Wildlife Resource Commission, N. C. Department of Natural Resources, City of Wilmington, and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Cape Fear River Watch is dedicated to preserving and restoring fish populations to the Cape Fear River and promotes any initiatives aimed at improving fish passage around the three lock and dams. However, CFRW will not support any change which will jeopardize municipal water supply. CFRW will strongly encourage that there be thorough consideration given to the benefits that could be derived from the establishment of rock weirs at the locks and the ultimate acquisition of the surrounding land for the establishment of a Park. Cape Fear River Watch will continue to monitor the USACE Section 216 study and will attempt to keep the public informed as to the status of the Cape Fear River lock and dams. Cape Fear River Watch strongly supports any efforts to restore fish populations to the Cape Fear River system. Successful recovery of these once prolific fish populations will have tremendous impacts upon the Cape Fear region both ecologically and economically. Larger, predatory fish species, such as king mackerel would return in great numbers to feed on the bounty of shad and blue back herring thus attracting the lucrative recreational fishing industry to invest in our coastal communities. Striped bass would return to the Cape Fear River in numbers like those of Roanoke and Hudson Rivers. A return of shad and herring would also support greater populations of the wildlife which draws us to the water including bottlenose dolphin, wading birds, osprey, and otters.

Sincerely,

CFRW Board of Directors