Waste Management

WM 2: Achieve 78% organics waste diversion by 2030. (from 12.9% to 18% of total MSW)

WM 2- 1 Collaborate with the region's waste haulers to determine capacity for increased organics collection and handling, barriers to reaching organics diversion goals, identify solutions, and recommend pilot projects to test solutions.

WM 2- 2 Encourage local governments to offer increased and consistent collection for food waste and certified compostable material at businesses. Change the type of compost operation or increase land allocation to handle additional feedstock, as needed.

WM 2- 3 Collaborate with residential and commercial waste haulers to establish organics diversion programs for residential and commercial buildings. Explore options such as trash Integrated Food Scrap Compost Collection

WM 2- 4 Encourage local governments to make county and municipal facilities and worksites a model for organics collection by developing a collection program for government-owned and (where possible) governmentleased buildings. Work with local governments to establish a base of possible large volume organizations.

WM 2- 5 Work with the Planning Department to require adequate Infrastructure in multi-family buildings for organics and recycling to ensure diversion is as convenient as garbage. Establish, distribute, and promote design standards or guidelines.

WM 2- 6 Conduct a phased-in commercial organics waste collection project. Explore possible incentives for food retailers, restaurants, and institutions to participate in food waste reuse and recycling programs

WM 2- 7 Land-Use Code Updates - improve commercial and multifamily recycling requirements by revising Land Use Code to require commercial indoor and outdoor space for recycling and diversion equal to or greater than the space provided for disposal. Explore how a Waste Minimization Grant program may support this and other actions.

WM 2- 8 Study low and no emissions waste-to-energy options utilizing organic waste including anaerobic digester and plasma gasification systems. Implement pilot project based on study findings and recommendations.

WM 2- 9 Increase support for back-yard composting for communities without curbside compost pickup including compost education and improved access to materials like compost bags and composters.

WM 2- 10 Collaborate with local partners and school districts to implement food composting programs at the region's schools.

WM 2- 11 Collaborate with local governments to establish requirements for permitted events to provide organics collection.

WM 3: Achieve 69% recycling waste diversion by 2030. (from 22.4% to 38.5% of total MSW)

WM 3- 1 Encourage local governments to develop and enforce ordinances requiring commercial customers to recycle material streams like cardboard, paper, beverage containers, etc

WM 3- 2 Encourage local governments to add more recycling options and info on recycling outside of municipal system; example: Tetra paks can be recycled for just cost of shipping - closest location VA. Facility in MA that will accept Styrofoam. Sponsor a Terracycle box for hard-to-recycle items and a Greendisk box for eWaste.

WM 3- 3 Coordinate with local partners and governments to increase local recycling center hours, change hours, or change collection process in order to ensure access to the center during operational hours convenient for people who work.

Waste Management

WM 3- 4 Coordinate with local recycling haulers and processors to increase processing capacity, maintain quality sortation capabilities, and provide space for additional material types to be recycled, including e-waste, mattresses, cartons and household hazardous wastes

WM 3- 5 Collaborate with County, State, and other regional waste audit and diversion service providers to develop and fund a waste audit and diversion assistance program for businesses. Program to support businesses in establishing tracking and reporting waste streams, identify reduction, diversion, beneficial use opportunities, identification of potential financing sources, and connect businesses with energy audit and other resources in support of full CAP goals. Goal: 30 business waste audits completed annually with businesses engaged in measuring and diverting waste.

WM 3- 6 Expand consumer education (e.g. host community forums and provide direct outreach, recycling quiz or activity at community events) on sustainable consumption, materials management, available services, incentives, and facilities as well as proper recycling, composting, source reduction methods and accepted materials.

WM 3- 7 Encourage local governments to adopt a deconstruction/diversion ordinance to require the reuse or recycling of salvageable construction and demolition materials. Policy should require that all real estate developments that receive financial assistance from the local government or special zoning approval adhere to a higher standard of recycling and reuse. Include a phased implementation within ordinance as may be needed based on recycling / reuse capacity within community. Actively seek partnerships with Habitat for Humanity's ReUse store and others in support of establishing capacity following the proposed policy changes.

WM 3- 8

Work with local governments in the region to ensure public recycling bins are as readily available as public waste bins in public facilities and locations.

WM 4: Establish no/low emission waste-to-energy operations producing biodiesel (or other needed energy) from region’s landfill waste.

WM 4-1

Conduct a detailed feasibility study for the development of a plasma gasification system using all of the region's municipal solid waste currently being sent to landfill directly, or as RDF reject materials.* Study should include overall feasibility, projected electrical generation potential, identification of beneficial use end products, long-term return on investment, detailed environmental benefit/impact statements, and an identification of implementation challenges, opportunities, and next steps.

* See Renewable Energy Potentials Study for more information on Plasma Gasification

WM 4-2 Conduct a detailed feasibility study for regional potential of anaerobic digesters including wastewater-toenergy installations at regional wastewater treatment plants and agricultural based systems. Identify and implement pilot projects based on findings of the study.

W 1: Promote increased water conservation Region Wide with a targeted reduction of 6% by 2030.

W 1-1 Facilitate a collaboration with the region's water utilities to create and promote a program focused on reduction of water use by top 20 water consumers annually for each utility through an opt-in program. Offer free technical resources to large institutions and businesses to identify specific opportunities for employees or customers to conserve water and incorporate water efficiency into internal operations.

W 1-2 Establish and promote a program supporting the installation of low-flow water fixtures in residential homes and commercial businesses. Program may be integrated or coordinated with Energy Audit/Energy Efficiency Program(s) in the Buildings and Energy section of this plan. Goal: achieve 500 households and 20 businesses upgraded annually

W 1-3 Promote agricultural land water management (retention) to address shifting weather patterns (spring snow pack and summer drought).

W 1-4 Develop a technical assistance and incentive program to encourage water conservation behavior and upgrades, such as use of drip irrigation and low-flow toilets.

W 1-5 Expand water conservation outreach, communication, and education programs promoting water conservation for residents and businesses.

W 1-6 Encourage local governments to require rainwater collection systems and Water Sense water efficient fixtures and appliances at all local government facility projects and all projects receiving local government funding.

W 1-7 Encourage local governments to install rainwater collection systems at local government facilities for greywater uses, and reuse at existing and new local government facilities and properties.

W 2: Mitigate the projected increased flood hazards and impacts due to climate change.

W 2-1 Encourage local governments to enhance stormwater systems to handle an increase in severe weather events.

W 2-2 Encourage local governments to prioritize managing stormwater before it enters the sewer system through a combination of overland flow, detention, and infiltration strategies.

W 2-3 Collaborate with regional patners to establish an outreach, communication, and education program to promote native landscaping, restore and conserve habitat; encourage rain gardens on private property, avoid turf grass, and convert City-owned space to include stormwater absorption features. Tree selection should consider those on the “Adaptive Planting List” which will thrive in our future local climate.

W 2-4 Identify, encourage, and incentivize programs promoting increased on-site storm water management such as rain gardens, water storage in natural landscapes or in ditches, and impervious surfaces as well as commercial, institutional, and residential sites.

Water and Wastewater

W 2-5 Collaborate with partners to prepare a flash flood risk map to identify areas within the region that are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of flooding, including details such as tree canopy, impervious surface, heat islands, critical community infrastructure (water wells, wastewater treatment and pump houses, emergency response, power generation, fresh water supply, hospitals, etc.), and vulnerable populations. Based on risk mapping and assessments, create and implement a risk reduction and response plan. Share and promote the information developed by the flash flood risk map, particularly among vulnerable populations and neighborhoods.

W 2-6 Promote, share and create "Actions you can take" fact sheets for businesses, homeowners, rental property owners, and renters. Establish an accessible outreach and engagement plan to reach at-risk properties during infrastructure projects. Incorporate other resources such as "landscaping for absorption" practices (like native plantings, rain gardens, and bioswales) and MyRain Ready.

W 2-7 Encourage local governments to identify lead pipes within region's water distribution network and establish a plan and timeline for replacement.

W 2-8 Coordinate with local governments to ensure region's Stormwater Master Plans incorporate projected increases in precipitation and extreme weather events and address the development/redevelopment of properties currently exempted from stormwater management requirements.

W 3: Protect the region’s aquifers and natural waterways and lakes.

W 3-1 Collaborate with federal, tribal, state county, and Soil and Water Conservation District partners to establish increased water quality testing to increase data availability and support ongoing refinement of water quality actions in the region.

W 3-2 Collaborate with regional resources and partners to explore potential for Phytoremediation (reduction of soil toxicity through plant utilization) and identify pilot projects to implement.

W 3-3 Promote reduced home fertilizer usage, farming practices, and upgrades to wastewater treatment facilities to reduce and eliminate water runoff capable of causing water quality impacts on the region's surface water (such as algae blooms and hypoxia, low oxygen levels, which harm fish)

W 3-4 Contribute to zero occurrences of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) which can result in the opening of the wastewater locks to release untreated wastewater into the region's surface water bodies.

W 3-5 Support and encourage local governments to monitor chemical snow and ice management treatments and update regulations as needed to respond to changing ice, freeze/thaw, and rain events in a way that supports a healthy watershed while maintaining an appropriate level of service and snow clearing; within local government owned properties.

W 3-6 Protecting natural waterways and lakes through addressing invasive species, pollution, recreation, fishing, wild rice etc. Support education and awareness that "explains the why" and supports understanding and "buy in."

W 3-7 Support collaboration in watersheds that cross county and municipal lines. Work with partners to create accessible and useful environmental impact statements (EIS) for residents and businesses. EISs to include a climate change impact, and the options for development available within them need to be widely accessible and easy to adopt.

W 3-8 Public educational gaps need to be bridged on environmental (needs to be tied to $ and health) impacts of particular land-water stewardship practices