Eric Weiss Administrator, HRMC 5/12/10

The HRMC member Towns are; Ashfield Chesterfield Cummington Goshen Huntington Middlefield Plainfield Westhampton Williamsburg Worthington Note: The HRMC covers approximately 270sqmi and serves approximately 13,370 residents

Background Information The HRMC was formed as the result of a grass roots effort by its member Communities in 1989. Waste disposal crisis created need for a regional rural, recycling solid waste disposal plan. Working regionally provides important costs sharing and information sharing which cannot be achieved by its member Towns individually. Each Community pays an annual assessment to the HRMC based on tonnage and population.

Background Information, Cont. The HRMC, since 1989, has been a very successful venture by and for the Communities it represents. Recycling helps save over $134,300 each year in disposal costs for all of its member Towns combined. HRMC monitors all solid waste and recycling programs for its member Towns as well as providing technical assistance when needed. In 2006 the HRMC added addressing rural Hilltown sustainability issues to its core mission.

Huntington Transfer Station

Background Information Cont… HRMC Board sees recycling as part of the overall “sustainability equation”. The HRMC has been a “good deal” for its member Towns providing many services regionally that could not be provided on per Town basis. HRMC is currently promoting both important regional recycling programs and new regional sustainability and green energy efforts.

Williamsburg Transfer Station

MRF Recycling Program

What is recyclable at the MRF ? Paper Products  Newspapers & Magazines School Paper & Office Paper Flat Cardboard Corrugated (brown) Cardboard Paper Board & Poster Paper Construction Paper Envelopes & Junk Mail Clean Pizza Boxes & Phone Books   Container Products  Tins Cans (Soup, Catfood, Veges, etc) Aluminum Cans & aluminum Foil Milk Cartons & Juice Boxes All Plastic Containers (#1-#7) All Colors Glass Bottles

What other items do we recycle? Large Metal Items Tires Clothes Books Electronics Paint Fluorescent Light Bulbs Mercury Containing Products Composting Waste Oil – Depends on the Town * * We also hold a Regional Household Hazardous Waste collection every fall – the next one is scheduled for October 23, 2010.

Open Top Boxes for Bulky and Metal Items

Book Recycling

FY 2009 Annual Recycling & Disposal Information (Tons) Town Recycling (Tons) Recy(%) GHG Red (Tns Crbn) Ashfld 249.8 39.4 717.0 Chstrfld 101.4 38.0 291.0 Cmmngtn 126.5 34.6 363.1 Gshn 118.9 43.3 341.3 Hntngtn 257.2 34.3 738.2 Mddlfld 72.0 34.7 206.7 Plnfld 87.1 250.0 Wsthmptn 216.1 39.0 620.1 Wllmsbrg 417.5 42.2 1198.1 Wrthngtn 205.2 43.1 588.8 Total Annual Green House Gas Savings =5,316.4 Metric Tons Carbon Equivalent

HRMC Program and Efforts The HRMC is involved with the following programs for its member programs: MRF recycling program (all household recyclables) Electronics recycling program Fluorescent Light Recycling Program Paint Recycling Program Annual regional HHW collection Technical Assistance and required annual submissions to Mass DEP Attend State & local meetings for member Towns

HRMC Programs and Efforts Cont. Provide outreach and education Information Acquire grants to promote HRMC mission Monitor solid waste and recycling tonnages Towns pay directly for their portion of all HRMC managed programs. Currently assisting Towns in determining Green House Gas (GHG) savings from their existing recycling programs and efforts. Promote new sustainability and green energy efforts in the Hilltown service region.

Electronics Recycling

Fluorescent Light Recycling

Regional Approach HRMC Towns share a beautiful rural region Preservation of quality of life is extremely important Regional approach for rural towns saves costs and allows Administrator to accomplish tasks volunteers are unable to pursue individually. Regional nature helps us pursue new sustainability efforts which make practical sense like recycling & green energy projects.

Sustainability Goals Recycling is an important part of the overall sustainability equation HRMC Administrator is the first ever Chairman of the Pioneer Valley Sustainability Network (PVSN) Recycling helps increase sustainability and reduce the Towns “carbon footprint” HRMC is working with member Towns (which are interested) in becoming Massachusetts designated “Green Communities”

Sustainability Goals Cont… HRMC initial sustainability goal is to work with member Towns to explore ways rural Communities can reduce their “carbon footprint” Potential wind and solar energy sites will be examined first. Sites will be municipally owned such as schools, closed landfills, town buildings, Town land…etc. First specific site to be evaluated for its wind power potential is the New Hingham Elementary School in Chesterfield.

Recent Sustainability Grants obtained by The HRMC August 2009 - $5,600 from Massachusetts Clean Energy Center to perform Initial feasibility study of a wind turbine installation the New Hingham School. December 2009 - $8,500 from WMECO for the HRMC to perform sustainability workshops in area schools and Towns over the next 18 months. February 2010 - $121,000 ARRA Grant for the Town of Middlefield to install high efficiency boiler and replace all windows at its Town hall. HRMC will oversee the grant. March 2010 - $30,000 Grant from the Clean Energy Center to hire SED to perform a comprehensive site assessment of the New Hingham School site for the potential installation of a 225kw wind turbine.

What does the Future hold ? The HRMC is here to serve the recycling, waste disposal and sustainability needs of its member Towns to help reduce their carbon footprint ! The HRMC will continue to aggressively promote recycling, reducing and composting the waste stream from Hilltown Communities! The Northampton Landfill will close in April 2012. The HRMC is now actively working on and exploring other long term disposal options on behalf of its member Towns.

Northampton Landfill Closure * Since 1989 all HRMC member Towns have used the Northampton regional Landfill for their primary disposal option. We create only 6% (11 tons per day) of the trash which goes to the Northampton Landfill * Since 1989 the HRMC has aggressively created and promoted many recycling efforts in the region. Last year we: Recycled 1,955.41 tons of material Disposed of 2,867.10 tons of material Had region wide recycling rate of 41% ! Saved 5,613.03 equivalent metric tons of carbon

Regional Recycling and Solid Waste Disposal Efforts MRF hauling is done under a single regional hauling contract managed by the HRMC for its member Towns. HRMC manages all other recycling efforts on a regional basis. Solid waste disposal contracts with Northampton are held by the Towns but managed regionally. Towns all bid separately for solid waste hauling services through the HRMC.

Post Northampton Landfill Option #1 Bid for a Single Disposal Long Term Contract Pro – Keeps existing local haulers in business Con –Longer distance = hauling increase. * Create a regional 10 HRMC member Town bid request for disposal services. * Work with the City of Northampton and other “former” users of the Northampton landfill to create a larger regional disposal services bid.

Current HRMC Region Disposal and Hauling Costs Northampton Disposal Cost = $72.50/ton

Post Northampton Option #2 Bid for Combined Hauling and Disposal Pro – Lower costs for hauling and disposal. Con – Drive local haulers out of the market. * Create a 10 HRMC member Town hauling and disposal contract. * Work with the City of Northampton and other “former” users of the Northampton landfill to create a larger regional hauling and disposal services contract.

Future (FY 2013) HRMC Region Hauling and Disposal Costs Disposal Cost = $79.75/ton

Preliminary Projected Disposal and Hauling Cost Increases to FY 2013 Budget Town Disposal Hauling Total Ashfield $ 2,785 $ 1,421 $ 4,206 Chesterfield $ 1,219 $ 881 $ 2,100 Cummingtn $ 1,732 $ 1,378 $ 3,110 Goshen $ 1,127 $ 699 $ 1,826 Huntington $ 3,579 $ 2,023 $ 5,602 Middlefield $ 983 $ 1,077 $ 2,060 Plainfield $ 828 $ 564 $ 1,392 Westhamptn $ 2,452 $ 1,353 $ 3,805 Williamsbrg $ 4,190 $2341 $ 6,531 Worthington $ 2,687 $1815 $ 4,502

Potential Disposal/Hauling Options 1) Local Hauling for Disposal (< 50 Miles) - South Hadley Landfill - Covanta Waste–To-Energy, Springfield - USA Waste, Somers Ct. 2) Hauling & Disposal (combined) * (Disposal location may not be local) - Waste Management - Allied waste - Cassella Waste - County Waste - Possibly Some Local Haulers

Next Steps Explore/develop how a regional hauling system will work. Explore/develop how a regional hauling and disposal system will work. Additional forums in 2011 & 2012 to discuss and promote solution(s) to the Towns. Develop and have new bid effort complete by January 2012 in time for Spring 2012 Town meetings.

Please Contact Us Anytime This organization belongs to the member Towns only you can make it work! Feel free to contact Eric Weiss, the HRMC Administrator at: Cell Phone : (413) 687 -3356 Email: hrmc@crocker.com