Antrim County

Solid Waste Management Plan Update

As Approved by Board of Commissioners

and Local Units of Government

February 18, 2000

AS REQUIRED BY SECTION 11539a OF

PART 115, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, OF

THE NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT

1994 PA 451, AS AMENDED

Antrim County

Solid Waste Management Plan Update

As Approved by Board of Commissioners

February 18, 2000

AS REQUIRED BY SECTION 11539a OF

PART 115, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, OF

THE NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT

1994 PA 451, AS AMENDED

DATE SUBMITTED TO THE DEQ:                      February 25, 2000

This solid waste management plan includes Antrim County.  No other counties or municipalities outside the County have been included in this plan.

DESIGNATED PLANNING AGENCY                   Antrim County Planning Department
PREPARING THIS PLAN UPDATE:                    

CONTACT PERSON:                                               Pete Garwood, Planning Director

ADDRESS:                                                                 Antrim County Planning Department
                                                                                    205 E. Cayuga, Room 206
                                                                                    Bellaire, MI  49615
                                                                                   

PHONE:                                                                     616-533-6265

FAX:                                                                           616-533-8111

E-MAIL:                                                                    garwood1@freeway.net

CENTRAL REPOSITORY LOCATION(S):           Antrim County Planning Department
                                                                                    205 E. Cayuga, Room 206
                                                                                    Bellaire, MI  49615

Antrim County Solid Waste Management Plan Update

As Approved by Board of Commissioners and Local Units of Government

February 18, 2000

I-1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................................... 1

OVERVIEW OF THE COUNTY................................................................................................ 1

THE SOLID WASTE PLANNING PROCESS........................................................................... 4

THE PLAN'S SELECTED ALTERNATIVE............................................................................. 4

AUTHORIZED MANAGEMENT COMPONENT................................................................... 8

TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN'S ENFORCEABLE PROGRAM........... 10

I-2 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................... 11

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES...................................................................................................... 11

II-1 DATA BASE.............................................................................................................................. 15

RESIDENTIAL WASTE GENERATION.................................................................................. 15

COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL WASTE GENERATION....................................................... 16

MAJOR WASTE GENERATORS............................................................................................. 16

SPECIAL WASTE STREAMS................................................................................................... 17

TOTAL WASTE GENERATION............................................................................................... 17

TOTAL WASTE DISPOSAL...................................................................................................... 17

II-2 SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL AREAS........................................................................................ 19

II-3 SOLID WASTE FACILITY DESCRIPTIONS......................................................................... 20

II-4 SOLID WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES /TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.. 29

II-5 EVALUATIONS OF DEFICIENCIES AND PROBLEMS...................................................... 30

II-6 DEMOGRAPHICS.................................................................................................................... 31

II-7 LAND DEVELOPMENT........................................................................................................... 32

II-8 SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES.............................................................. 33

III-1 THE SELECTED SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM............................................ 35

III-2 IMPORT AUTHORIZATION................................................................................................. 40

CURRENT IMPORT VOLUME AUTHORIZATION OF SOLID WASTE............................ 40

FUTURE IMPORT VOLUME AUTHORIZATION OF SOLID WASTE................................ 41

III-3 EXPORT AUTHORIZATION................................................................................................. 43

CURRENT EXPORT VOLUME AUTHORIZATION OF SOLID WASTE............................. 44

FUTURE EXPORT VOLUME AUTHORIZATION OF SOLID WASTE................................ 45

III-4 SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL AREAS....................................................................................... 47

III-5 SOLID WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES & TRANSPORTATION................................. 63

III-6 RESOURCE CONSERVATION EFFORTS:.......................................................................... 64

III-7 WASTE REDUCTION, RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING................................................ 64

VOLUME REDUCTION TECHNIQUES.................................................................................. 64

OVERVIEW OF RESOURCE RECOVERY AND RECYCLING PROGRAMS...................... 65

RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING PROGRAMS................................................................... 65

IDENTIFICATION OF RESOURCE RECOVERY MANAGEMENT ENTITIES:................ 76

PROJECTED DIVERSION RATES:......................................................................................... 77

MARKET AVAILABILITY FOR COLLECTED MATERIALS:............................................ 77

EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL PROGRAMS:.................................................... 78

III-8 TIMETABLE FOR SELECTED SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION....................................... 79

III-9 SITING REVIEW PROCEDURES.......................................................................................... 80

AUTHORIZED DISPOSAL AREA TYPES............................................................................... 80

SITING CRITERIA AND PROCESS......................................................................................... 81

DEFINITION OF THE FACILITY SITING COMMITTEE.................................................... 89

MINIMUM STANDARD SITING CRITERIA......................................................................... 90

III-10 SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT COMPONENTS............................................................ 95

NEEDS OF THE MANAGEMENT COMPONENT................................................................. 95

DEVELOPMENT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMPONENT................................................ 95

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MANAGEMENT COMPONENT......................................... 96

III-11 IDENTIFICATION OF RESPONSIBLE PARTIES............................................................. 100

III-12 LOCAL ORDINANCES AND REGULATIONS ................................................................. 102

III-13 CAPACITY CERTIFICATIONS........................................................................................... 103

APPENDIX A: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE SELECTED SYSTEM..... A-1

EVALUATION OF RECYCLING.............................................................................................. A-1

EVALUATION SUMMARY OF THE SELECTED SYSTEM:................................................. A-8

APPENDIX B: NON-SELECTED SYSTEMS.................................................................................. B-1

APPENDIX C: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND APPROVAL..................................................... C-1

APPENDIX D: PLAN IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY............................................................. D-1

ATTACHMENTS............................................................................................................................. ATT-1

RESOLUTIONS.......................................................................................................................... ATT-A

LISTED CAPACITY................................................................................................................... ATT-B

MAPS.......................................................................................................................................... ATT-C

INTER-COUNTY AGREEMENTS............................................................................................ ATT-D

DETAILED POPULATION DATA........................................................................................... ATT-E

SPECIAL CONDITIONS........................................................................................................... ATT-F

WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING TELEPHONE SURVEY RESULTS.................... ATT-G

LETTER OF APPROVAL FROM MICHIGAN DEQ ............................................................. ATT-H

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

I-1     EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The following summarizes the solid waste management system selected to manage the solid waste within Antrim County.  In case of conflicting information between the executive summary and the remaining contents of the Plan update, the information provided in the main body of the plan update found on the following pages will take precedence over the executive summary.

The following summarizes the solid waste management system selected to manage the solid waste within the County.

OVERVIEW OF THE COUNTY

Antrim County is located in the northwestern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan with a total land area of approximately 305,280 acres or 477 square miles.  Antrim County features a wealth of natural resources, including lakes, forests, agricultural land and urban areas.  Approximately 70,214 acres or 23 percent of the county is farmland, 147,058 acres or 48.2 percent is forested, 16,398 acres or 5.4 percent is developed and 27,520 acres or 8.3 percent is inland waters.

The topography of the county varies in relief from an altitude of over 1500 feet above mean sea level in the northeast to less than 585 feet above mean sea level along the Lake Michigan shoreline in the southwestern part of the county.  The gently rolling and hilly uplands which characterize Antrim County terminate in abrupt bluffs along the shoreline of Lake Michigan.  Generally, Antrim County is suited for most types of development with the exception of areas of steep slopes and wetlands.  Some of the steep hills left by glaciers have been developed into excellent ski resorts.

Surface Water

One of the county's most notable and impressive features is Elk River/Chain-of-Lakes watershed system which flows into Grand Traverse Bay at Elk Rapids.   This hydrologic basin comprises 100 miles of connecting waterways.  In addition, there are numerous small lakes and rivers including the Scenic Jordan River, a designated Natural River.  Together the lakes and rivers in Antrim County make up an area of nearly 27,520 acres.  The shoreline of Grand Traverse Bay is also a great natural resource of the county.  Consisting of sandy beaches, it extends along the entire western boundary for a distance of 13 miles.

Soils

Soil Types in Antrim County range from sands and related light soils to heavy clay loams.  Well-drained sandy soils dominate most of the county and are associated with the glacial till and outwash plains of northwestern Michigan.  Shale outcroppings around Ellsworth have provided raw material for the cement industry of Petoskey and Charlevoix.  Poorly drained soils comprise much of the low areas around the lakes and streams of the county.  The Jordan River flood plain constitutes the largest such area in Antrim County. 

One soil grouping to note is sand soil on dunes and lake plains.  This is a level to moderately steep excessively drained soil.  It is dry, infertile and generally is unsuited for agriculture.  Steep areas are severely limited for residential development and subject to extreme wind and water erosion.  For more accurate information, consult the Soils Survey of Antrim County, Michigan (U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation Service, 1978). 

Climate

The varied soil and climatic conditions in Antrim County provide the basis for diversified agricultural activities.  The area once supported a hardwood forest and the cutover land left by lumbering operations proved of little value for agricultural uses.  Most soils are composed of sand or sandy loams, incapable of retaining much moisture and of low fertility. 

Transportation System

Antrim County is well served by a network of State and local roads.  U.S. 131 runs from approximately the middle of the county's southern boundary to the northeast corner of the county and connects the area with Cadillac and Grand Rapids to the south as well as the Straits of Mackinaw to the north.  U.S. 31 runs along the western portion of Antrim County and connects the area with Traverse City to the south and Charlevoix and Petoskey to the north.  State Highway M-66 runs from Mancelona north to Charlevoix.  M-32 runs through northeastern Antrim County and ties in with Gaylord to the east and East Jordan to the north.  M-88 connects Eastport, Central Lake, Bellaire and Mancelona.  An extensive system of paved and gravel roads connect outlying areas with these State and Federal highways.  These county roads are located primarily on a one mile grid system. 

Land Use

Land use and projected future changes can impact the solid waste system in many ways, including siting of future facilities.  For purposes of this plan,  the general land use of Antrim County can be divided into four categories: developed, agriculture and open space, forested and Public Land.

A somewhat dated study, the 1964 Antrim County Comprehensive Plan documented data pertaining to the economy, land use, parks, schools, transportation network and population estimates.  This study provided a land use plan which identified anticipated development trends and established land use proposals to direct this growth into planned development patterns throughout the county.  The county adopted a Development Coordinating Committee to oversee subdivision development, and a Building Code in 1974, but other land use regulations and controls were not implemented.  To date, seven townships and one village in Antrim County (Banks, Elk Rapids, Forest Home, Helena, Kearney, Milton, Torch Lake, and the Village of Elk Rapids) have zoning ordinances in effect. 

Antrim County contains a large amount of agriculture and open space, forested, and public lands compared to developed land.  The Bellaire area contains a large amount of industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential uses in the county.

Projected land uses for the 5 and 20 year period do not show major changes.  Continued expansion of the parcels surrounding Bellaire, Elk Rapids, Mancelona will most likely occur and further development around inland lakes and rivers will continue over this time period.

Allocation of land under current conditions is shown in the chart below.  

Population

Population counts, estimates and projections are essential to effective solid waste management planning.  Rarely does any community have an exact current population count.  While the decade house to house census carried out by the U.S. Census Bureau forms our most reliable date, normal errors still occur from many factors including the incidence of seasonal migration.  The numbers presented in this plan were compiled from sources available at the time.  However, a re-analysis of the 1990 census data is recommended, as soon as it is available, by the Antrim County Planning Commission and/or staff to see if significant changes are recorded.  1990 Census figures will be used in the next update to the Antrim County Solid Waste Management Plan.

The 1980 U.S. Census of Antrim County indicated a population of 16,194.  By 1998, population projections compiled by the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments estimated the number the number of persons at more than 21,000.  Current population by municipality is characterized in the chart below.  In addition to the projected growth of year-round residents, the population of the county increases seasonally.  This is due to many factors including second home ownership, migrant labor, tourists, and other transients.  Due to the large variation in seasonal population, good estimates of seasonal population are not available.  By the height of the tourist season, (late summer), it has been estimated that the county experiences a population swell by an additional 25%.  This is a general conservative estimate rendered for the county. 

Employment, as reported to by the U.S Bureau of the Census, shows the civilian labor force in 1995 was 4,426 employees.  Of total employees in 1995, the most were employed in the service sector, at 1,715.  Manufacturing employed just over 1,000.  Note that these figures do not include individual farm employment.

Projected growth trends forecasts the population for the county to increase by 13% over the next ten years.  The table below shows 1998 population month by month, and by municipality.  This illustrates how the fluctuating seasonal population affects the total population.

1998 Estimated Seasonal Population - Antrim County