Hall County, Georgia, is a growing community located on the edge of the Atlanta metropolitan area. The county has undergone substantial population growth over the last decade as Atlanta continues to expand. The county’s large growth has driven the need for a review of the solid waste master plan to account for major changes in waste disposal and recycling needs. The master plan reviewed three major factors of their solid waste program: collections, recycling, and landfilling. The recycling program reviewed options for how to expand the current operations to address the needs of a growing county with increased recycling demands each year. A review of the county’s landfilling operation included two facilities, a closed landfill with historical environmental concerns, and the currently operating site with a design and operations plan outdated for the expanding disposal needs. The master plan addressed the recycling and landfill’s reduced capacity and the historical landfill’s environmental concerns through a holistic solution to redevelop the closed landfill into a new landfill with updated facilities, resident drop-off, and an expanded recycling center. The site will mine out old existing waste into the new landfill cell and regain airspace. The new airspace and resource recovery will provide the revenue to fund the environmental remediation and the site’s redevelopment. The county’s approach shows the benefit of creative and holistic solid waste planning.
At the conclusion of this session participants will be better able to:
• Recognize the importance of an integrated and comprehensive solid waste master plan.
• Recognize the need for creative problem-solving in solid waste planning.
• Prepare solid waste needs for a changing population.
Contributor/Source
Bryan Weldon
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