SAN JUAN COUNTY SOLID WASTE

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List of stories about solid waste operations in San Juan County

Letter from Claudia Mills regarding site of proposed transfer station

Legal opinion removes trash
to treasure obstacle

According to the opinion released August 13, 2003, "state law prohibits San Juan County's comprehensive plan or development regulations from precluding the siting of essential public services." The county went through a process to find a suitable site for the facility. Five parcels were looked at. The BOCC agreed the Roche Harbor Road parcel was the only viable option.

The county received a $436,000 grant from the state Dept. of Ecology to build a recycling plaza. Those funds will be taken away if they are not spent by December 31, 2003. If the hearing examiner approves the CUP and the decision does not get bogged down in appeals, Public Works Director Jon Shannon believes the deadline can be met. "I hope one citizen (filing an appeal) doesn't cause the community to lose these funds," he said.

Letter from Claudia Mills regarding site of proposed transfer station

Trash to Treasure plans reviewed

posted 07/30/03
The new recycling facility and land for the transfer station on San Juan Island will cost an estimated $1.3 million. The original plans called for $750,000 to be spent on land. Instead the county was able to purchase property for $135,000 which freed up the rest of the funds for infrastructure. The change surprised Commissioner Rhea Miller.

She said, "I wasn’t aware we were looking at a two story closed facility,"she said. "This has changed dramatically."

The county received a $436,000 grant from the state Dept. of Ecology towards a builder exchange and thrift store concept. Another $100,000 grant was received for a recycling plaza. The county has until December 31 to use or lose the DOE grant money. A bond for $985,000 finances the rest of the project.

The county and town spent months trying to negotiate a purchase of the current town-owned county-run transfer station on Sutton Road. Negotiations ceased after the county determined the area under consideration was on top of garbage. The county then purchased property adjacent to the site.

Commissioner Darcie Nielsen said the original plan called for a long narrow building on the shelf area of the town's landfill site. The plans called for the old incinerator building to be used for part of the project. "The architect designed a new building, which is so much better designed. It fits in the surrounding area quite well. This will be a state of the art building. It will be functional and safe." she said.

The two story building includes a thrift store on the top floor and a builders' exchange below. Currently a lot of useful construction material is thrown out, according to Public Works Director Jon Shannon. Citizens will be able to make use of the material through the builders exchange. See the stories below for more details on the reuse concepts.

Because of the slope of the site, both the top floor and bottom floor of the building will open onto ground level. One opens to the east, one to the west. A tipping floor for recycling will also be built on the site. Residents will be able to just drop their recycling directly on the tipping floor.

Commissioner John Evans said, "I think this will be very beneficial to San Juan Island. For the same amount of money we would have spent, we are getting a state of the art, high quality user friendly, environmentally friendly property. The goal of recycling is to recycle. The easier we can make that for the public the better the opportunity to keep things out of the landfills. I hope we make it through the permitting process. I hope we don’t have one or two people who cause us to lose a half million dollar grant."

The plans will be on display during the San Juan County Fair. A hearing on the conditional use permit for the project will be held August 22, 2003.

County purchases site for transfer station relocation

posted 04/16/03
San Juan County's offer of $150,000 for 6.6 acres on Roche Harbor was accepted by the Sundstrom family. Public Works Director Jon Shannon said the purchase will be closed by May 15, 2003. Construction of a new recycling plaza, thrift store, builders exchange could begin July 1, 2003.

The design allows for 300-feet of buffer space from Roche Harbor Road and 80 to 100 feet from Sutton Road. Entry would be from Roche Harbor Road and Sutton Road.

Shannon said the new site allows for a 4,800 square foot thrift store which is almost double the size in the original plan. That plan called for the Trash to Treasure Initiative buildings to be built on the current transfer station site. The plan fell though after the county decided it wouldn't purchase the town-owned site for $750,000.

The $150,000 purchase of the Sundstrom property is split between the county Road Department and Solid Works Division. Solid Works will pay approximately $130,000 for 5.4 acres. The road fund will be used to purchase 1.2 acres of roadway.

Transfer station relocation discussion today

posted 04/08/03
San Juan County Commissioners will finish up a public hearing continued from April 1, 2003 today. The board will meet at 10 a.m. to select a site for the relocation of the San Juan Island transfer station. The meeting was continued due to problems with the publication of the legal notice for the SEPA process.

Sundstrom property recommended
for transfer station relocation

posted 03/28/03
A six acre property bordered by Sutton Road and Roche Harbor Road was selected March 26, 2003 by a county/town task force for the relocation of the San Juan Island Transfer Station. The Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing about the proposed purchase of the property at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, 2003 in the county Courthouse.

The site borders the current location of the transfer station. The county plans to build a new recycling plaza as part of its Trash to Treasure initiative. Plans to build on the current site were abandoned after testing revealed the county would be building on top of garbage.

"We looked at engineering around the problem," Public Works Director Jon Shannon said. "But it would raise the cost of the project five to 10-fold."

The town owns the 26-acre site where the county-run transfer station is located. Town Administrator King Fitch said the town looked at the cost of removing the garbage but it was cost prohibitive. He said there are other areas of the property where the county could build the Trash to Treasure project. The county would have to buy the entire 26-acre parcel according to Fitch. "The town's position is we don't want to partition it off," he said. The price for the site was $750,000.

The county wasn't willing to buy the entire property so the task force met to consider other sites. Five were listed. Three were dropped due to concerns about proximity to airports or airstrips. Birds could present a problem.

The task force held a public meeting March 26, 2003 to discuss the final two sites. Besides the Sundstrom property, the other site was part of a 40-acre property owned by Steve Hudson on Douglas Road.

Neighbors of the Sundstrom property expressed concerns. Claudia Mills mentioned the importance of the watershed across the road from the property. Noise, traffic safety and animals were also concerns. "Lighting is my biggest concern," she said. "In terms of view corridor, that part of Roche Harbor Road is completely dark at night. I am really concerned that big stretch of road stays dark."

Shannon said the current facility is lit because it is used at night. "That practice will stop starting March 31, (2003)," he said. Lighting at the new site will be designed to have a very minimal impact, he said.

Traffic flow will be improved at the new site by entering off of Sutton Road and exiting onto Roche Harbor Road. Problems with rats, crows and raccoons should be less at the new facility because the garbage and recycling will be enclosed.

Commissioner Darcie Nielsen said, "A lot of the issues raised relate to design. Part of the reason San Juan Island was chosen to receive the grant ($436,000 from the state Dept. of Ecology) was the hope the site will become a model for the state."

Keeping watch

Matt Pranger photos
A pair of eagles kept a watchful eye over activities at the San Juan Transfer station earlier this month.

Dump and recycling center will move

posted 03/18/03
If all goes as planned San Juan Island residents will have a new solid waste transfer station. Public Works Director Jon Shannon explained the plan to the Solid Waste Advisory Committee Monday, March 17, 2003. The county intends to purchase the six-acre Sundstrom property at Roche Harbor and Sutton Road. The site is south of the town-owned transfer station.

A public hearing regarding the site selection will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, 2003 at the Mullis Center in Friday Harbor. The Board of County Commissioners will discuss the purchase during their April 1, 2003 meeting.

The county attempted to negotiate the purchase of part of the town's site but was unsuccessful. The town wanted to sell the entire 26-acre site for $.75 million.

The new site will be designed to accommodate both recycling and garbage. The recycling plaza will be built first. The Solid Waste Division is under a December 2003 deadline to use a $435,985 grant from the state Department of Ecology (DOE). The grant is for the county's Trash to Treasure Initiative.

A Z-wall will be built to accommodate the recycling. Residents will deposit their recyclables on the floor and it will be pushed into a trailer. Construction of a facility to handle garbage is farther down the road. Shannon said the county has a lease with the town which runs through 2014. He believes the garbage handling facility on the new site will be up and running long before the lease expires.

Shannon said the site will include technology pads - areas set aside for future projects such as production of biodiesel fuel. Used vegetable oil could be converted into biodiesel fuel and used to run the county's backhoe. The county would be open to leasing some of the pads to entrepreneurs who would reuse materials, he said.

Two sites considered for transfer station/recycling center

By Sharon Kivisto

posted 03/12/03
San Juan County Public Works Department investigated five alternative sites for relocation of the San Juan Island solid waste facility. Three were eliminated from further consideration because of proximity to air traffic. A public meeting about the two remaining sites will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, 2003 at the Mullis Center in Friday Harbor.

The two properties under consideration are the Hudson property on Douglas Road and the Sundstrom property on Roche Harbor Road near Sutton Road. The three properties which were dropped from the list were: the Durhack property on Cattle Point and Golf Course Road, the Williams property at the end of the Friday Harbor airport and the Olerin property on Beaverton Valley Road. Birds attracted to the transfer site would present safety problems for the air traffic near the three rejected properties according to Planning Director Laura Arnold.

The state Department of Ecology awarded a $435,985 grant in 2002 to the county to build a recycling and reuse area. The county has been looking for a site for its Trash to Treasure initiative. Plans to purchase part of the town-owned transfer station site on Sutton Road fell apart after the town insisted on an all-or-nothing purchase.

Originally the county was to complete the project by May 2003. Public Works Director Jon Shannon said that while DOE has been understanding of the problems the county has run into and has granted an extension,it is essential to move forward quickly on the project.

As part of the process, a task force of town and county representatives will hold the public meeting to hear comments on the alternatives and to answer questions about the process of selecting and evaluating alternatives. An environmental review has been completed by the Planning Department and copies of the SEPA determination and environmental checklist are available on request by calling 360.378.2393; or e-mail planning@co.san-juan.wa.us

The task force will make its recommendation for site selection to the Board of County Commissioners on April 1, 2003.

County looking for new site for recycling center

posted 02/12/03
The county has dropped plans to purchase the Town of Friday Harbor's Sutton Road property. According to San Juan County Commissioner Rhea Miller the county is looking for other property for the "Trash to Treasure" project. The town was willing to sell the county the entire 26-acre site for $750,000.

The county wanted to purchase part of the site in order to build a recycling and reuse area. The state Department of Ecology (DOE) awarded a $435,985 grant to the county for the project. There was a May 2003 deadline for completion. According to Public Works Director Jon Shannon the DOE has so far been understanding of the delays.

Negotiations went on for several months between the county and the town. Problems developed when the county discovered the area the new thrift house was to be built on was unsuitable. Test holes indicated the area - where recycling is currently done - was on top of a former dump area.

During the Board of County Commissioner's meeting on February 11, 2003, Planning Director Laura Arnold reviewed the steps the county needs to take to acquire an alternative location for the San Juan Island transfer station. Part of the process is an evaluation of alternatives by a joint town/county task force. She believed the best case scenario would be a decision by the BOCC in early April 2003.

County Commissioner John Evans said, "The concern I have is, it would be unconscionable of us to lose the support of $500,000 for this public facility." He suggested the task force meet several times a week if necessary to speed up the process. "Dragging this out is not good public policy," he said."We can't let inertia on our part be a factor in this. We have a responsibility as the Board of Public Health. That facility is totally inadequate. We've talked about it for years."

Commissioner Rhea Miller also wanted to push forward on the Trash to Treasure project. "The public really wants to do it," she said. "But if we don't do it by the book, a small minority can derail this project.We need to do it as correctly as possible."

Arnold said county staff would work as expeditiously as possible. Selection of a representative from the county planning commission for the task force was a first step. Commissioner Darcie Nielsen nominated Steve Hudson. Evans and Miller agreed.

County will pay $750K to town for transfer station

posted 08/02/02
After year's of leasing a small portion of the town-owned Sutton Road transfer station, the county can now purchase most of the 26 acre property for $750,000. Town Councilmembers directed Town Attorney Don Eaton to send a letter to county Prosecutor Randy Gaylord spelling out conditions of the sale.

The county wants to make improvements to the San Juan Island transfer station and has a $500,000 grant from the state Department of Ecology for a Trash to Treasure initiative. The grant must be used by May 2003.

Negotiations for the sale have gone on for months. The conditions spelled out in the August 1, 2002 letter relate to financing - the town does not want to finance any portion of the price - and easements, water, indemification, de-annexation, etc.

Eaton writes:

The Town is prepared to move forward on an expedited basis to bring this matter to a close. It now appears that a mutually acceptable arrangement is well within reach and that both the Town and the County would be best served by finalizing the details for a binding agreement as soon as possible. I would recommend that, if the counter proposal on payment terms is acceptable to the Board of County Commissioners, staff representatives from the County and Town meet to work out the finer issues raised by this response, after which a formal agreement can be promptly drafted and presented to the two legislative bodies for approval.

Trash to treasure moves forward

07/16/02
San Juan Island is closer to having a thrift shop large enough to carry furniture, a place to pick up usable construction material that presently ends up in the landfill. According to county Solid Waste Manager Jon Shannon, the county and town have settled on a price for the Sutton Road transfer station property where the new reuse center/thrift shop/senior workshop/builders exchange/medium-risk waste facility would be located.

The town owns the 26-acre property and leases a small portion to the county. The two government agencies have been in talks about a sale or land swap for years. Details of the transaction have not been released.

Design work on the multi-use project began July 15, 2002. A group of citizens representing building contractors, senior citizens, the thrift store, the town, the county, and the port met with Shannon and consultants to begin assessing the space needs of each part of the project.

The participants were excited about the opportunities the new facility will provide. The Friday Thrift Store would like to have 4 to 5,000 square feet. The thrift store will temporarily relocate to Airport Center Drive beginning August 1, 2002 while the new facility is being developed.

Building contractors cited numerous examples of waste of usable construction materials because there is no place or economical way to recycle them now. Gary Miller suggested the county work crew (people performing community service in lieu of jail time) could salvage some good construction material by removing nails. "We can't afford to pay someone to pull nails," he said.

While the participants at the meeting focused on the positive impact the new facility, most of which is funded by a $435,985 grant from the state Dept. of Ecology, a red flag in term of the neighboring property owners was raised.

Solid Waste Committee member and Hillview Terrace resident Jean Shreve said, "Personally I am super excited about the project." But as a representative of the neighborhood she said,"A lot of people in the neighborhood are concerned about noise and traffic. When they hear about things like the thrift store (relocating there), they go berserk."

Peter Risser who represented the Thrift House suggested the landscape architect visit the site at 6 a.m. to see what is actually happening in order to find ways to provide a buffer. The county does not being work before 7 a.m. unless absolutely necessary according to Terry Pascoe, transfer station supervisor. San Juan Sanitation and the Town do begin driving their garbage trucks before 7 a.m. SJS driver needs to cover his route and the town crew wants to service the downtown area prior to businesses opening.

Mitzi Johson who is the other representative for the neighborhood was not able to attend the meeting. Susan Risser representing the Thrift House said, "This is exactly why we all need to get together now in order to make this work for everybody."

The grant from the state requires the work be completed in one year.

Trash to Treasure grant approved

posted 5:15 p.m. 05/07/02
The state Dept. of Ecology awarded a $435,985 grant to San Juan County for a proposed Trash to Treasure project. Solid Waste Manager Jon Shannon applied for the grant through a $2 million state pilot program which uses funds from a wholesale tax on hazardous materials and petroleum projects.

Commissioner John Evans announced the news during the BOCC's May 7, 2002 meeting. "The efforts of Jon Shannon have been tremendously successful," he said. "The award to San Juan County represents almost a quarter of the money available statewide. It is an exciting opportunity."

The grant will cover 75 percent of the cost to build a new recycling center at the San Juan Island transfer station on Sutton Road. The Friday Harbor Thrift Store which is looking for a new home due to the expansion of the town's waste water treatment plant may be located on the site.

"Island communities are ideal laboratories for sustainable resource management," said George Sidles of the DOE solid waste and financial management assistance program. "Islanders feel the pinch when it comes to solid waste; Trash to Treasure will show how communities can create ways to keep these problems in check."

Commissioner Darcie Nielsen said the project was a personal favorite. It was ranked number one out of 85 applications statewide.

Commissioner Rhea Miller said there was county wide support for the project which was an idea she presented to the Solid Waste Advisory Committee in August 2001.

Solid Waste could get $500K grant

posted 04/22/02
A proposal written by Solid Waste Manager Jon Shannon is number one on a list for grants froma state Dept. of Ecology pilot program. The county may receive $500,000 for its Trash to Treasure initiative. DOE has $2 million for the pilot program.

Shannon told the county's Solid Waste Advisory Committee the proposal was expanded based on input from DOE. The plans include new storage for household hazardous waste, disposal plan for electronic waste, waste oil used to heat the building, senior workshop, and a sustainability "store."

"We'll hear about funding on May 2," Shannon said. "We'll immediately get all stakeholders involved and start in on a design. We'll turn that group loose so this becomes a real community project."

Trash to Treasure grant proposal passes first hurdle

posted 03/19/02
An application from the county's Solid Waste Division for funds from a Dept. of Ecology pilot program passed the first hurdle. Solid Waste Manager Jon Shannon received the news Monday, March 18 and now has until April 12 to submit a more detailed application. The Trash to Treasure Initiative includes plans to:

• Provide a Thrift Store where reusable household items can be dropped off prior to entering the MSW tipping floor/scale area.
  
  
  
  
• Provide a Building Materials Exchange where contractors, builders and household do-it-yourselfers can drop off usable construction materials, working major appliances, and fixtures for use by others.
  
  
  
  
• Provide a Senior's Workshop where senior citizens from the Island's Senior Services Center can use their time and skills repairing broken and worn out itmes such as household appliances, toys, tools, lawn and garden equipment, etc.
  
  
  
  
• Provide a Household Hazardous Waste Exchange where moderate risk wastes such as paints, stains, garden chemicals, and household cleaners can be traded rather than disposed.
  
  
  
  
• Provide a Moderate Risk Waste Storage Facility for use in collection and storage of moderate risk wastes uncuitable for reuse by customers.
  
  
  
  
• Provide an educational kiosk/meeting places for ongoing waste reduction/reuse/recycling education and innovation
  
  
  
  
• Provide an environmentally safe and economically feasible method of handling waste oil collected from our customers by using a waste oil heater to heat the facility.
  
  
  
  

If the county's grant application is successful, the facility will be placed at the transfer station on Sutton Road on San Juan Island. DOE will award the grants in May 2002 and they must be spent by April 2003.

County proposes siting thrift house at Sutton Road facility

posted 02/11/02
The Friday Harbor Thrift House needs a new home, construction material is being thrown away, and the San Juan Island transfer station is unsafe. County Solid Waste Manager Jon Shannon believes he has found a way to solve all three problems through a grant from a state pilot program. "This is a completely conceptual idea," he told the Friday Harbor Town Council at their Feb. 7, 2002 meeting. The grant application is due March 1.

"The program is geared toward sustainability in solid waste. It is for reuse, recycling or other innovative ways of diverting waste from landfills, it can't be used for garbage," he said. Money for the pilot program comes from taxes paid on hazardous waste in the state. In the past the Department of Ecology has allocated the money to counties based on population. Thirty-four counties split 15 percent of the funds. The five largest counties received 85 percent. Legislators, wanting to see the money spent in a way to get the best return for the state, have developed the $2 million pilot program. Shannon said six to eight projects will be funded.

He noted Orcas and Lopez islands have had reuse programs for years. "At the San Juan Transfer station there is no opportunity to do anything with reuse. It's ironic because most waste is generated on San Juan Island,"he said. "We hate to see perfectly good building material being buried in landfill."

If the grant is awarded, the state would pay for lion's share of construction project he said. There would be a local match of 25 percent which would come from solid waste. A facility that could be used as the reuse facility and a single stream recycling facility could be constructed in the shelf area of the site.

The town recently leased the shelf area to the county to use for recycling. The lease does not allow for subleasing the site. Town Councilmember Vonda Sheiman asked Shannon who would run the thrift house.

Shannon emphasized the ideas were in a very preliminary stage. "The details of how it would be operated are wide open," he said. He expected the county would want a non-profit to run it.

Town Councilmember David Jones asked if the Friday Harbor Firefighters Association which runs the Friday Harbor Thrift House had been consulted. Shannon said, "I talked to them, they thought it was a great idea. They thought there was a lot of utility in having that kind of structure at the dump." He said they felt being in town was important but realized this would give them more square footage. A satellite facility with higher end items in town might be an option the firefighters would pursue he said.

Because of the time constraints, Shannon presented the idea to the town before he spoke to the county commissioners. Councilmember Bill LaPorte asked Shannon what he needed from the council.

"I'd like you to consider the idea today, no commitment. If the state makes us an offer, at that point you would be asked to make decision. There would be no financial committment on the part of the town," he said.

The county and town have been in negotiations for the last few years on selling or swapping the Sutton Road site. Shannon noted that issue will not be resolved before this project is done. The money would be available in May if the grant application is successful. He noted in the worst case scenario the town would end up with $400,000 worth of improvements to the site if the sale doesn't go through.

Sheiman said, "This ties into the whole discussion about a public works yard. We need to find someplace where we are going to put that stuff."

Under the plan, the county may need more space than it is currently leasing from the town. A retaining wall would probably be necessary. Shannon said the plans could be scaled back to fit on the present site.

Councilmembers Howie Rosenfeld, Carrie Brooks, Jones and LaPorte agreed they did not object to Shannon proceeding with his grant application. "I think we can give our go ahead with the caveat that operational issues exist," LaPorte said."

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