Annapolis Junction Transfers First Waste Load By Rail

Baltimore Composting Facility Conducts Air Emissions Study

Placing New Air Quality Standards on Hold

Update on Rubble Landfill Regulations

Maryland Participates in America Recycles Day

Authority Enters Electric Deregulation Market

Garbageman Appreciation Day

Ogden Cosponsors Poolesville Day

Montgomery RRF Passes Million Ton Mark

Authority Releases Annual Report

On September 9 the Annapolis Junction Transfer Station, managed by USA Waste, delivered the first load of waste by rail to its King George County Landfill in Virginia. The transfer station opened in March and had previously been transporting waste to Virginia by trucks. USA Waste has contracts with the Authority to accept solid waste from both Anne Arundel and Howard Counties. RAILHAUL 97, the second annual conference on railhaul of waste, ash, and recyclables included a tour of the transfer station. Robin Davidov, executive director of the Authority and Art Balmer, chief of solid waste services for Montgomery County were featured speakers at the conference, which was held in September in Arlington, Virginia.

Professional Services Group, Inc. (PSG), owner and operator of the Baltimore
City Compost Facility (BCCF) conducted an Air Emissions Study to assess the facility's compliance with MDE's Toxic Air Pollutant Regulations. Additionally, the study will determine the source classification for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emissions with respect to Title V Requirements of the Clean Air Act. Testing was last conducted in February 1993. The current testing program will measure the effect of the reactor ventilation fans, installed in 1994 under the Capital Improvements Program. The results of this study will help the facility update and upgrade the Air Permit that expires September 30, 1998. Additionally, the study will measure the air quality in the reactor building with applicable regulatory guidelines and standards (i.e., OSHA, NIOSH, and NFPA).

The U. S. Conference of Mayors is hoping that Congress will put a four-year hold on the new ozone and particulate matter standards approved by the  Environmental Protection Agency on July 18. Paul Helmke, president of the U. S. Conference of Mayors, said the mayors are supporting the four-year delay to "ensure that the EPA learns more about specific health effects, expands the science supporting any new standards, documents sources of these pollutants, identifies more fully what control strategies are available and at what cost to whom."

The mayors have several fundamental concerns. The first is how much it will cost state and local governments to carry out the new standards. Under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and the President's Executive Order, a financial analysis is required to document these costs. The EPA has not yet issued a complete statement of costs despite several attempts to gain this information. Many mayors contend existing regulations economically harm cities that cannot afford to further reduce air emissions.

The next concern for the mayors is that setting up the new standards would take attention away from redeveloping brownfields. Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer said, "We simply cannot afford to have one federal program working toward clean air in a way that jeopardizes other federal priorities such as the cleanup of brownfields and the revitalization of our cities through economic development." The mayors believe that redeveloping brownfields would curb suburban sprawl and help the environment by increasing the use of public transportation and shortening commutes. Revitalization would also decrease unemployment, crime and drug use in these areas.

Finally, the Mayors are opposing the new standards because the regulation process was controversial. The Mayors claim that the EPA brought out the new standards only after it missed its deadline for reviewing the national air quality standard for particulate matter. The agency was then sued by the American Lung Association. They also felt that the seven-month schedule for issuing the final regulations was too short. The comment period was extended by three weeks. But this was not enough time to process the 40,000 comments received. During the comment period, the EPA asked state and local officials to consider only the science of the standards because implementing the standards is covered by a separate regulation. However, when the standards were released compliance dates had already been set.

In addition, the local governments felt they were not as informed or as involved in the rule making process as they wanted to be. One reason for this is that the EPA has not yet informed communities of their standing under the new regulations. Another is that many local governments found out about the new standards when they were released in November, which meant they were left out of the review process.

The hearing process for proposed regulations on rubble landfills concluded in September. A public hearing was held by the Maryland Department of the Environment on April 9. Twenty-three people testified and 25 people submitted written comments.

A Notice of Final Action was published in the September 12 issue of  the Maryland Register. The regulations were approved with three minor changes:

1. a new effective date, from July 1, 1997 to September 22, 1997;
2. existing unlined rubble landfills have 120 days instead of 60 days to
   submit schedules of compliance; and
3. existing unlined rubble landfills have 120 days to procure the services of a third-party waste checker and establishing inspection protocols.

The new regulations went into effect on September 22.

On November 15, Maryland participated in the first ever "America Recycles Day." The specially designated day was intended to build consumer demand for recycled products and to educate all Americans about the environmental and economic benefits of recycling. The theme of this year's event was Keep Recycling Working: Buy Recycled.

In celebration of America Recycles Day, every citizen, government agency and organization was invited to make a pledge to buy recycled, increase their recycling or support a recycling event. The Authority collected more than 40 pledge cards. All pledges will be entered in a random national drawing for the "American Green Dream House." The house is a brand-new, three-bedroom, two- and-a-half bath home built primarily with recycled content and energy-efficient products.

The Authority and PEPCO have entered into an agreement that will allow electric capacity from the Montgomery County Resource Recovery Facility to be sold outside of the PEPCO system. The Authority will earn more than $500,000 in the next 14 months by allowing PEPCO to market the RRF's capacity. Under the Authority's power sales contact with PEPCO, the electric power company must pay a capacity fee to the Authority for power produced at the RRF, if PEPCO is counting on this capacity to serve its customers. Because PEPCO is not expected to need this capacity until after the year 2002, the Authority's electricity revenues have not been maximized. Deregulation of the electric industry is creating more opportunities for marketing the RRF's power beyond PEPCO's territory. The Authority has been exploring these opportunities. This short term deal will enable the Authority to earn revenue for existing capacity and investigate future sales while deregulation continues to mature.

Baltimore RESCO hosted its annual salute to trash collectors this Fall with food, festivities and carnival attractions at the BRESCO facility in downtown Baltimore. Mayor Kurt Schmoke helped host the event by grilling burgers for the more than 500 garbagemen who attended the festivities with their families.

Ogden Martin, operator of the Montgomery County Resource Facility was a major sponsor of and participant in Poolesville Day, held in September. Ogden employees manned carnival booths and an information tent. They greeted people and answered questions about the Montgomery RRF. Ogden's company mascot Ducky-Do-Right (Tim McCauley) entertained children at the parade. This year was Ogden's fourth year as sponsor of the event. In addition, to the many Ogden employees who attended, the company donated  the entertainment stage, a giant slide for the children and t-shirts for the annual 5K run.

Montgomery County's Resource Recovery Facility processed its one millionth ton of garbage on September 16. The facility has been running steadily since its start-up in May 1995, processing more than 1,000 tons of garbage per day. Without this facility, the one million tons of waste would have gone to area landfills. At the Oaks Landfill in Laytonsville, one million tons of waste would raise the landfill 60 feet higher than its current level.

The county not only saved landfill space because of the facility, but also recovered the waste's energy content by burning it to produce steam and electricity. The electricity, which was sold to PEPCO, produced $9.7 million in revenues to the county. The nearly 25,000 tons of ferrous metals recovered at the facility were sold for more than $630,000.

The Authority's 17^th Annual Report has been published and distributed to more
than 200 government officials and waste management professionals. It contains the Authority's Audited Financial Statement and a report on the Authority's projects and activities for fiscal year 1997, which ended June 30. For a copy of the report, call the Authority.

Wastewatch is published quarterly by the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority, an independent agency of the State of Maryland governed by its Member jurisdictions — Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County and Montgomery County.