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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 11011988 - IO.2 To! BOARD OF SUPERVISORS I. 0. 2 FROM: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE C ltra October 24, 1988 C )sta DATE'. V r'""' "J RECYCLING OF USED OIL SUBJECT: SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMUMDATIONS 1 . That the County Administrator investigate rumors brought to our Committee to the effect that the General Services Department has plans to lease the land presently occupied by the Community Recycling Center to some other organization for some other purpose and report the facts of the situation to our Committee by no later than November 14, 1988. 2 . Request the Community Development Department' s Resource Recovery Specialist to contact companies and agencies in the County which currently accept waste oil regarding their willingness to assist the County in a program to accept waste oil from the public and report back to our Committee on December 12, 1988. 3 . Request the County Administrator to provide information to. the Resource Recovery Specialist regarding the actual cost of the design, installation, monitoring and supervision of waste oil collection from the public at County Corporation Yards. 4. Request the County Administrator to include in the County' s 1989 Legislative Program a proposal for a surcharge on the purchase ' of oil, with the proceeds dedicated to funding county and city waste oil collection and recycling programs. 5 . Request the Director of the Community Development Department to consider incorporating a public waste oil disposal component in the household hazardous waste program. 6 . Request the Director of the Community Development Department to review the possibility of using the interim or permanent transfer station locations as sites for the receipt of used oil from the public and report his findings back to the 1989 Internal Operations Committee. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X _ YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR X RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE X APPROVE OTHER s,GNAruRE s Sunne W. McPea e Tom Torlakson ACTION OF BOARD ON November 1 , 1988 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS 1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT — AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NDES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. CC: County Administrator ATTESTED A*tAZj.jq AeA.,' /, �q�g Director, Community Development Director, General Services PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF Public Works Director SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Resource Recovery Specialist County Counsel BY9 ,I 6 ,DEPUTY M382/7-83 Solid Waste Commission Page 2 BACKGROUND• On June 21, 1988, the Board of Supervisors directed that the County Administrator determine whether or not it is feasible to consider the use of the County Corporation Yards as locations to receive used oil from the public for the purpose of recycling the oil. At our meeting on October 24, 1988, we received the attached report from the County Administrator' s Office indicating that there would be substantial costs involved in converting the County Corporation Yards to facilities which could readily and safely receive used oil from the public. While our Committee is not yet convinced that it cannot be made economically feasible to use the Corporation Yards for this purpose, we are willing to support the recommendations of the County Administrator for the time being, while other alternatives are explored. We were, however, surprised and more than a little upset to hear a rumor from staff in the Community Development Department that the General Services Department has plans to lease the property presently used by the Community Recycling Center to some other organization for some other purpose and were, therefore, not interested in going to the trouble and expense of upgrading the facilities so that used oil could be safely and properly received at this location for recycling purposes. We have asked the County Administrator to investigate these rumors and report the facts to our Committee as soon as possible. Our Committee, at least, is not interested in having this property leased to any organization for any other purpose, and this is not the basis on which a six-month contract was given to Many Hands, Inc. to operate this site. The contract was simply to give Many Hands, Inc. time in which to raise funds from the Sanitary Districts to continue their operation at the same site. As soon as we have had an opportunity to review the report of the Resource Recovery Specialist in December, we will provide the Board with a further report on the whole issue of used oil and what we can do to find a safe, simple and inexpensive way for our citizens to dispose of used oil for the purpose of having it recycled. OFFICE OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR CONTRA COSTA COUNTY Administration Building Martinez, California To Internal Operations CommitteeDate: October 19; 1988. Supervisor Sunne_. McPeak, Chair Supervisor Tom_ Torlakson From John Gregory; WASTE OIL RECYCLING REFERRAL Subject Management Analyst As the response ..to .your Committees ' referral .on the possibility of the County providing locations for the- recyclingof waste oil to the public; ' the following recommendations are offered which request you to: • Accept the report by the County Administrator' s staff on the possibility of county corporation yards accept waste oil from the public; Direct the Community Development Department' s Resource Recovery Specialist to contact companies and agencies in the county who currently accept waste oil as to their availability to assist the County in a program for the public and report back to Committee at its December 12 meeting; • Direct staff of the County Administrator to provide information to the Resource Recovery Specialist regarding the actual cost of design, installation, monitoring and supervision of waste oil collection from the public at County Corporation Yards; • Consider recommending to the Board of Supervisors that part of its 1988-89 legislative effort include proposals for assessments on the sale of motor oil to help fund waste oil collection and recycling programs; and • Direct staff of. Community Development to consider incorporating a public waste oil disposal component in the household hazardous waste collection program. Background Discussion The Internal Operations Committee had requested that information be provided on the feasibility of County Corporation Yards (and/or other County locations) accepting waste oil from the public. There are six potential County locations (Martinez - Shell Avenue, Glacier Drive, Imhoff Drive, Brentwood, Lafayette and Richmond) where the public might be able to dispose of used motor oil. Additional locations identified in a July 1988 survey indicate two other locations in the county. These are in the City of Walnut Creek which Waste Oil -2 October 19, 1988 operates a recycling center through Valley Disposal and in the City of El Cerrito which operates its own recycling center. The current County practice is -to recycle its own .waste oil but not to accept. oil from the public except on an informal,. 'unpublicized basis so that County, employees can dump 'oil. The County has. a 650 gallon capacity in its -waste oil tanks-: . 400 gallons at the Shell . Avenue Facility and 150 gallons at the Main Street Facility. The. Contra Costa Community Recycling Center Is now. receiving approximately. 800 . gallons- of waste oil 'per week. The, County' s,.waste oil is picked up on an "On' Call" basis when . the tanks are . full, .usua.11y once per .week. Depending on the used-.* oil market" which. 'r.eflects world petroleum prices; the .County pays to have its oil removed,. is paid or receives the service free of charge. To accommodate waste oil from the public, County corporation yard would require significant changes . Currently the access to the waste tanks are inside the corporation yards with the collection area indoors. Availability to the public would require that the tanks be placed in an area that would be readily accessible to the public. It is estimated that engineering design, installation, monitoring and site , maintenance costs will be an estimated $25 ,000 to $30 ,000 per site. In addition, staff would need to be made available to accept waste oil from the public. This is due - to the assumption that the majority of people changing their oil and then looking for a place to recycle it, do so during the weekend. Currently, Public Works ' corporation yards are not open on the weekends. As has been shown at local recycling centers, having an unsupervised site opens up the potential for spills and general liquid garbage collecting at the site. As alternatives to the corporation yards, several items should be considered. One, is the possibility of having gas stations accept waste oil. Representatives of the local gas station owners are reluctant to handle waste oil. Many service stations have phased out waste oil collection because of the State' s definition of waste oil as a hazardous waste thus requiring it to be handled as such. This means that. a recipient of the waste oil becomes responsible for proper disposal of any contaminants in the oil. With this liability question, service stations are reluctant to- assume the responsibility for accepting waste oil. Given its status as a hazardous material, those companies or agencies already in the field, Central Sanitation; IT Corporation; large private recycle companies, etc. might be better equipped to act as collectors of the waste oil. Therefore conversation should occur with these possible agents as to their availability to collect oil from the public under a general agreement with the county. The County' s resource recovery specialist would be the best point of contact. Additionally, consideration should be given to whether legislation should be proposed which would require a surcharge on the sale of motor oil to help fund waste oil collection and recycling programs . Waste Oil -3- October 19, 1988 This would be part of a philosophy that those who help create such a problem, should be assessed a charge for correcting the problem. However the ability of the lobbying effort needed for such legislation should be. given some . thought as to an appropriate course of action. This would not be popular with. oil.'.companies or other distributors of petroleum. products. . . It . could well have . a. backlash from those. organizations with which .the County will need to. be involved for any overall waste management program. While itis desirable .for the county to provide .waste .oil collection opportunities for . the public, it appears other 'methods previously mentioned, should be . explored. . To. this . end_, with the Hazardous Materials Commission considering program priorities, waste oil disposal by the public could be included in that program. . JG:cm