The 2018 Solid Waste Association of North America, Old Dominion Chapter award recognizes significant accomplishments in the solid waste industry.
The Region 2000 Services Authority (Authority), was awarded a SWANA program achievement award on May 9, 2018, for landfill operations at the Region 2000 Regional Landfill – Livestock Road Facility, in Campbell County, Virginia. Clarke W. Gibson, P.E., Director; Larry Hall, Operations Manager; and Robert Arthur, Environmental Compliance and Safety Manager head the Authority’s operations team.
SCS Engineers nominated the team for their achievements through the Authority’s Odor Management Program, which reflects the success of the Authority’s technical strategies as well as their collaboration with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) and proactive community outreach efforts.
Livestock Road became a regional landfill in 2012 when the Concord Turnpike Regional Landfill closed. Livestock Road began serving the citizens of the City of Lynchburg and the counties of Appomattox, Campbell, and Nelson with approximately 165,000 citizens living in these communities. More solid waste means more cell development, and more odors to control.
Odor management is a foremost challenge at any landfill, but particularly challenging as Livestock Road was receiving a significant increase in solid waste just as the surrounding area was developing a subdivision adjacent to the landfill. The Authority took action, and today has documented a 98 percent decrease in odor complaints as of March 2018. The results enhance the quality of life of the citizens residing in adjacent communities.
“Effective landfill odor control takes a multi-pronged and diligent approach, we wanted to implement the best management practices and the best technology to address landfill odors. As a result, we believe we have significantly improved the odor problem at our landfill and have greatly improved the quality of life for our neighbors,” stated Clarke Gibson, Director at Region 2000 Services Authority.
The comprehensive Odor Management Program was developed and implemented with the support of SCS Engineers, and is comprised of odor abatement, mitigation, and controls. Numerous elements including systems, investigations, monitoring/analyses, protocols, and practices are part of these three major elements commissioned on a voluntary basis.
“The Authority’s operations team demonstrates excellence in environmental stewardship and community relations through their program,” stated Robert Dick, Vice President, and the SCS Project Director.
SCS Engineers is proud to announce its acceptance as an “Actor” in the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC). SCS will participate in the CCAC’s initiative to mitigate Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) from the Municipal Solid Waste sector.
The CCAC is a voluntary international framework that encourages countries and organizations to take concrete steps to reduce SLCPs in order to protect the environment and public health, promote food and energy security, and address near-term climate change. The initial focus is on methane, black carbon, and many hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Fortunately, as their name indicates, SLCPs have a relatively short lifetime in the atmosphere, and therefore determined efforts to mitigate them now can significantly reduce their concentrations in a relatively short period of time. Many cost-effective technologies and practices have already been implemented in key sectors around the world and benefits are being seen.
The Coalition sponsors eleven initiatives designed to address urgent environmental challenges through collective and individual partners’ action. Some of the initiatives include: reducing black carbon emissions from heavy-duty diesel vehicles and engines; promoting HFC alternative technology and standards; addressing short-lived climate pollutants from agriculture; supporting national planning for action; financing mitigation of SLCPs; regional assessments; and urban health.
Founded in 2012, the CCAC is the first global effort to address the urgent challenge of SLCPs. The Coalition encourages all countries, regional economic integration organizations (REIO), intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private sector entities that are committed to solving this global and collective challenge to participate in its initiatives. To date, 48 countries, 14 IGOs, and 43 NGOs participate in the CCAC.
Upon receiving the letter of acceptance, SCS Vice President Dana Murray said, “We are pleased to be approved as an Actor and believe this initiative makes a difference in the human health and environment of the cities it assists because it looks at improving municipal solid waste management holistically at the local level.”
