Progress 10/01/01 to 09/30/06
Outputs
This project generated significant new information for the state of Maine in several important areas of waste management including household hazardous waste, biomedical waste, the recycling of construction and demolition debris and anaerobic digestion of organic wastes in landfills. Bioreactor technology and leachate recirculation are promising new landfill technologies. A lot of bioreactor research so far has been done in warmer climates. However, cold climate bioreactor landfills are already in operation in Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, and Quebec, Canada. The research at these bioreactors shows that a cold climate bioreactor landfill can be successfully managed given consideration to cold climate design and operational factors. Bioreactor technology might extend the life of some of Maine's existing landfills by recapturing airspace for additional waste placement. Other potential benefits of bioreactor landfills that could make this technology attractive are reduced
cost of leachate transport, storage, and off-site treatment due to recirculation of leachate, reduced cost to operate landfill gas-to-energy facilities due to increased landfill gas production over a shorter time period, reduced long term risk and liability related to landfill gas emissions, leachate, and settlement due to faster landfill stabilization and settlement, and reduced cost for long-term landfill maintenance and monitoring activities due to faster landfill stabilization and settlement.
Impacts
Based upon this research, several Maine municipal waste districts are actively seeking environmental and administrative approval to construct a regional construction and demolition debris recycling facility. Approvals followed by facility ground-breaking are expected during the 2007 calendar year.
Publications
- Eganhofer, Stefanie and George K. Criner. Preliminary Bioreactor Landfill Technology for Maine. Resource Economics and Policy Staff Paper #548, University of Maine, Orono (June 2005).
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Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
Under this project, five primary household hazardous wastes (HHW) collection scenarios were examined. Specific elements of the analysis included individual cost components (administration, labor, materials and supplies, education/promotion, buildings, etc.), the expected participation rate for each scenario, and the amount of MSW toxicity reduction. The five primary scenarios analyzed were: at-door collection; one-day collection events; regional collection facilities; two brick and mortar facilities; and brick and mortar facilities with a roving collection truck. The research revealed that no scenario is clearly favorable over all others. While the one-day collection scenario has the lowest cost, it also has the lowest HHW collected. On the other hand, the regional collection scenario has the most waste collected, but has the next to highest cost. From a dollars-per-pound perspective, the brick and mortar with truck scenario has the lowest cost, but it has the next to
lowest disposal-cost-as-a-percent-of-total-cost which indicates that it has a substantial amount of operating and fixed costs. In response to state needs, a study was conducted to look at minimizing state system-wide collection/handling, transportation, processing and disposal costs under alternative options. The model solution identifies significant cost savings compared to Maine hospitals' current approach to biomedical waste disposal. Initially, all of Maine's biomedical waste was shipped out of state, and the estimated weighted average cost for each Maine hospital was $685 per ton of waste. Model results show the average cost of treating the non-sharps biomedical wastes (i.e., 95% of the biomedical waste stream) without shredding is $391 per ton. The cost to treat and shred the sharps (i.e., 5% of the biomedical waste stream) separately is $817 per ton. The combined total to treat all of the biomedical waste under this scenario is $412 per ton. Increasingly, construction and
demolition debris (CCD) is rapidly filling Maine's landfills. Many components in CCD can be recycled including some of the wood, asphalt singles, dry-wall, and some metals. Under this project research was conducted (in cooperation with others) looking at the feasibility of a multi-municipal facility to process and recycle CDD. Based on assumptions outlined in the analysis, such a facility is economically feasible with a minimum waste stream of 15,600 tons per year of debris at a tipping fee of $60 per ton for sorted waste and $85 per ton for unsorted waste, plus revenues from sales of processed aggregate and mulch.
Impacts
This research resulted in the state of Maine constructing and operating a facility to process biomedical waste. The facility will save citizens of Maine close to one-half million dollars per year, insulates Maine's hospitals from cost uncertainty, creates local employment and processes Maine's biomedical waste in a more environmentally friendly manner. Based upon research exploring recycling opportunities for construction and demolition debris, study results caused a group of Maine communities to agree to create the legal structure for owning and operating a facility. It is expected that sometime in 2007, the facility will be built in the mid-coast region of Maine. This construction and demolition recycling facility will help the state preserve precious landfill space, save money, as well as provide local employment. Partially based upon research from this project, the State of Maine has constructed a facility in Lewiston, Maine to accept and dispose of household
hazardous waste. Use of this facility will be economical, will improve environmental safety, and create local jobs.
Publications
- Allen, Thomas and George Criner with Jim Dorsky and William Gartley. "Feasibility Assessment Bulky Waste Facility: Union, Maine," Gartley and Dorsky Engineering and Surveying of Camden, ME. December, 2004.
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Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04
Outputs
Research into the economics of waste management continues over a wide array of materials and systems. Regarding construction and demolition debris, research is underway to estimate the costs and benefits of recycling the material, rather than merely landfilling it. Research has also been started to examine the technical and economic feasibility of using bioreactors in Maine. Bioreactors are entire landfills or landfill cells which recirculate leachate or otherwise increase the liquids in a landfill to foster faster materials biodegradation, reduce the volume of landfill space necessary, generate alternative energy and potentially reduce green house gas emissions.
Impacts
A recent research impact, from research conducted on this project a few years ago, has been the announcement by the State of Maine that it will construct a facility to process medical waste at a facility in Maine. Research conducted under this project showed the economic benefits from the state processing and disposing of its medical waste, rather than shipping it out of state for disposal.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/02 to 09/30/03
Outputs
Dr. Criner presented a four seminar series at the University of Laval (Sainte-Foy, Quebec) on waste management, and also attended a day-long conference on waste management techniques being considered for the Quebec province. The information exchange was extremely useful to see other perspectives and learn of potential solutions to waste management problems. The research of household hazardous waste has been completely wrapped up and all publications are in print. While several alternatives are available to collect and properly dispose of household hazardous wastes, costs are high (compared to municipal solid waste ("garbage")), and, the total percentage of household hazardous waste removed is relatively low (5% to 13% of the total present in household garbage).
Impacts
The household hazardous waste research was used by Maine legislators to draft a bill to collect a user fee from certain household hazardous waste (e.g. oil based paints). If this legislation is approved, the result will be the removal of some of the household hazardous wastes from the municipal solid waste stream, which will help improve the environment.
Publications
- Files, Andrew C. and George K. Criner. 2003. "Poison Control," Waste Age Vol. 34 No. 6. pg: 64-67.
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Progress 10/01/01 to 09/30/02
Outputs
Household hazardous wastes (HHW) are items generated by households that are corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive, and as such are hazardous to humans and/or the environment if disposed of improperly. In Maine, the list of HHWs includes oil-based paints, flammable liquids (including resins), pressurized aerosols, liquid poisons, solid poisons, acids, pesticides, and household chemicals and cleaners. Until recently, most of these wastes were disposed of with households' municipal solid waste. As a result of these unsound practices, an increasing number of municipalities and states are implementing specialized collection programs for household hazardous wastes. Providing specialized collection programs for this portion of the waste stream is important for a number of reasons. Based on these and other reasons cost analyses of four primary HHW collection scenarios were conducted. The four scenarios are comprised of: 1) an at-door collection approach; 2) day collection
events; 3) regional collection activities; and 4) two fixed structures. Results indicted that no scenario appears to be clearly favorable over all others. While the one-day collection scenario event had the lowest cost, it also had the next to lowest amount of HHW collected. On the other hand the regional collection scenario had the most waste collected, but also has the highest cost. From a dollars per pound perspective, the brick and mortar with truck scenario had the lowest cost, but it has the next to lowest disposal cost as a percent of total cost which indicates that it has a substantial amount of operating and fixed costs involved. The study results support the viewpoint that Maine, and perhaps similarly rural states, may adopt a flexible and dynamic approach to HHW management so that municipalities and other public entities can tailor their programs to meet their specific case.
Impacts
The researchers presented results to the Maine joint standing legislative committee on natural resources. This committee and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection are considering legislation to require HHW collection and disposal in Maine.
Publications
- Files, Andrew, and George K. Criner. Cost Analysis for Household Hazardous Waste Collection. Maine State Planning Office Technical Report, Feb. 1, 2002.
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