2006 APWA Innovation Award
For the past three and a half years, Ontario County, N.Y. and Casella Waste Systems, Inc. have worked together in a unique partnership overseeing the operation of a critical piece of public infrastructure – the county’s solid waste management resources.
The American Public Works Association (APWA) local branch has recently recognized the benefits of this special working relationship, awarding the partners with its Technical/Management Innovation Award for 2006.
"Ontario County appreciates the recognition from the American Public Works Association,” said Geoff Astles, Ontario County administrator. “The public private partnership with Casella Waste Systems has not only been financially beneficial to Ontario County and the Town of Seneca, but has significantly improved the environmental performance of the solid waste operations. Creativity and a solid working public-private partnership are the solution to environmentally sensitive, financially solvent solid waste facilities."
The award celebrates Casella Waste Systems’ and Ontario County’s “culture of cooperation” in transforming the Ontario County Landfill into a sustainable economic environmental development success. The partnership, leveraging the creative resources of both parties, is breaking new ground in the following areas:
By recycling leachate into the landfill, methane gas production has increased, and now runs several electrical generators producing approximately 5.6 MW of electricity as part of a separate partnership between Casella and Innovative Energy Systems.
Casella designed, built and operates a single-stream recycling facility that allows County residents to co-mingle all recyclable material.
A seven-acre greenhouse facility, utilizing waste heat for temperature control, is under design for consideration for future development within a 70-acre industrial park on County property.
An extension to the liner system of the existing landfill ensured continued operation of the facility and will provide long-term environmentally safe waste disposal for the County residents and other customers.
The Stage V-A liner extension involved the relocation of approximately 1,200 feet of an existing stream located within the liner extension area. The relocation involved the excavation of a new stream channel and rerouting to the stream along the southern property line around the future expansion areas. In addition to the stream relocation, a 5-acre wetland mitigation area was developed to mitigate the wetlands that were excavated as part of the stream relocation. The wetland creation site was relocated from the middle of the landfill property to a new location on the corner of County Route 5 and NYS Routes 5 & 20.
In a continued effort to manage traffic at the landfill and surrounding public roads, Casella worked with the County to upgrade traffic infrastructure of County Route 49 and NYS Routes 5 & 20, which services the landfill entrance.
The APWA presented its award to Casella and Ontario County officials at a ceremony in January 2007.
