1. What is the total quantity of MSW available at each site?
Is there available data as to the makeup of the MSW?

El Dorado Disposal Service, Inc. - Residual Waste Characterization Study - Spring 2001 [.pdf file]

South Lake Tahoe - Residual Waste Characterization Study - Spring 2001

2. Does the County own the property where current transfer stations exist?

No.

3. Does the County have other property available?

Additional property has not been identified at this time.

4. What is the current cost for transportation from each transfer station to the final disposition facility?

The trucking cost from the Western El Dorado Services (WERS) Transfer Station to the Lockwood Landfill, Lockwood, Nevada, is $462.00 per load. The average payload is approximately 24.81 tons.

The travel distance from the WERS Transfer Station to the Lockwood Landfill is approximately 320 miles roundtrip.

The current trucking cost for transportation from the South Tahoe Refuse Transfer Station to the Lockwood Landfill, Lockwood, Nevada, is $65.00 per hour. The roundtrip normally takes 4 hours with an average load weight of 22 to 25 tons. Table VI of the Residual Waste Characterization Study (see the County's web site: http://edcgov.us/emd/) provides disposal data, by tons, for each month.

The travel distance from the South Tahoe Refuse Transfer Station to the Lockwood Landfill is approximately 150 miles roundtrip.

5. What is the landfill tipping fee?

The landfill tipping fee at Lockwood is $9.16 per ton for California MSW and $7.89 for Nevada MSW. A 3% increase is anticipated this year and should be in place soon. The tip fees vary for other material types, the most common being $2.40 per yard for loose loads.

6. Is there any recycling effort at the current transfer station?

WERS performs a wide variety of recycling efforts at their facility. These services include a blue and yellow-bagged program in which the residents place their recyclable items and the bag is then placed in a 96-gallon toter with the MSW. The bags are then separated at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF). El Dorado Disposal Service (EDSI) also provides a blue bin collection service in selected areas of the County. Residents deposit their recyclable items in a 7 gallon blue bin, which is collected at the curb, transported to the MRF and sorted on a curbside recycling belt. EDSI also operates a large material sorting system, which separates construction and landscape material (wood, concrete, sheet rock and green waste, etc.)

The current recycling effort at the South Tahoe Refuse MRF consists of a consolidated collection and facility sorting operation using conveyors, manual and mechanical labor and an industry standard baler. Limited separate areas and reduced tip fees are provided for clean loads of specific recyclable materials. A state certified buy-back is also operated as well as several on-site separation programs for business generators.

7. Does the County employ curbside recycling, composting or other MSW programs?

In addition to the recycling efforts described in the answer to question # 7 above, information on other County programs are described on the County's web site: http://edcgov.us/emd/solidwaste/waste_recycle.html

8. What is the estimated cost per ton for existing recycling programs?

WERS considers this information to be proprietary in nature and respectfully declined to provide the information to the County.

South Tahoe Refuse, Inc. provided the following estimated costs per ton for processing recyclable materials. These estimates include MRF processing costs only. They do not include the costs of collection, transport to market or scrap or California Redemption Value revenues. The estimates were developed in 1998 through a cost accounting program and should be considered in light of inflationary costs since that time.

Aluminum Glass Plastic Tin Cardboard Newspaper Mixed Paper Wood/Vegetation Inerts Steel Tires

$226.10 $125.10 $233.38 $221.63 $125.10 $125.10 $125.10 $108.00 $102.00 $100.00 $180.00

9. Are there other organic waste streams the County would like to evaluate such as municipal sludge, food residuals or green waste?

Yes, the additional waste streams will be further defined in the Request For Proposal.

10. What is the system of collection used by current collection vendors (i.e., single bin multiple pickup, multiple bin single truck)?

Residential service is provided by WERS using 96-gallon toters (contractor provided). A majority of the County use 32 and 45-gallon metal and plastic containers (customer provided). Commercial collection is accomplished by using both rear and front load containers (1yd - 6yd)

South Tahoe Refuse, Inc. collects solid waste and recyclables through consolidated residential and commercial collection routes with front loader compaction vehicles. These vehicles handle from single can up to six yard commercial dumpsters. Materials are brought to a MRF for sorting. Self-haul and roll-off loads are also accepted daily at the MRF.

11. If attractive to El Dorado County as a potential conversion technology vendor, would County officials entertain a presentation separate from the open forum format of the vendor conference? Enter into a mutually protective confidentiality agreement in order to facilitate a more detailed explanation of proprietary technologies and potential contract strategies?

Yes

12. Would the County be interested in the long-term option to purchase approximately 10 - 15 megawatts of renewable power, per facility?

Yes

13. Is the County's current recycling rate of 38% based on conventional recycling?

Yes.

14. Can residual waste resulting from a composting facility be sent to an energy facility instead of a landfill?

The County is not opposed to such an arrangement.

15. What is the current energy costs in California?

The current energy costs in California is in transition and the cost is variable.

16. Will the County guarantee the amounts of waste listed in the FRQ?

Yes.

17. Will there be a detailed Request for Proposals (RFP)?

Yes.

18. Will there be specific criteria for odor control?

Yes. The RFP will clearly identify the process by which proposals will be evaluated and scored and the County considers odor control to be a critical issue, regardless of the technology being proposed.

19. Is there a market for compost in the area?

There are several vineyards and apple farms in the County. Additionally, the Tahoe Lake region has several slope stabilization projects.

20. Has the County determined whether it will own the facility?

The County is considering all options at this stage.

21. Are there any state regulations governing clean air and composting facilities?

Yes. State regulations governing composting facilities can be found on the California Integrated Waste Management Board's web page: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Regulations/Title14/

22. Are there any local regulations governing construction?

Yes, construction is area specific and the County or City Uniform Building Code must be followed.

23. Are there any local engineering firms available to assist proposers?

Yes, the County will post on the web site when appropriate.

24. What is the prevailing wages for operators?

Wage estimates can be obtained from the US Department of Labor web site: http://stats.bls.gov/oes/1999/oes_ca.htm and the California Employment Development Department web site: http://www.lmi4ed.ca.gov/reports/test.asp?geocode=0017&type=2

25. If the County owns the facility, will it be unionized?

It may be likely.

26. How will the tons be delivered throughout the year, month, and week?

This information is available in recent Residual Waste Characterization Studies that are available on the County's web site: http://edcgov.us/emd/

27. How is the current recycling rate of 38% calculated?

This rate is based on the California Integrated Waste Management Board's disposal based methodology for determining the amount of landfill diversion for all jurisdictions throughout California. This method uses a "base year" generation rate and subtracts the amount disposed which then provides the diversion rate.

28. Is there a household hazardous waste program in the County?

Yes. There are three permanent facilities and periodic collection events in rural areas. The County is also implementing a universal waste (i.e., computers, televisions, etc.) recycling program. More information on these programs is available on the County's web site: http://edcgov.us/emd/

29. Why does WERS and South Tahoe Refuse, Inc. have the opportunity to submit proposals outside of the RFQ process?

These companies are the exclusive waste management contractors for the County and they provide exceptional service for all activities that are currently under contract. If their proposals are not acceptable they will be required to compete with all other vendors in the RFP process.

30. What is the scope of the existing waste hauling contracts?

All franchise agreements are provided on the County's web site: http://edcgov.us/emd/

31. Will the new facility / facilities identified in the RFQ be outside the scope of the existing hauler agreements?

Yes.

32. Would an end compost product have to be stable before use?

It would depend on the proposed market where it is applied.

33. What is the population of Placerville?

The population of the City of Placerville is approximately 8,000 with an additional 2,000 people living in the surrounding unincorporated area.

34. What is the population of South Lake Tahoe?

It is approximately 23,000.

35. What is the population of El Dorado Hills?

It is approximately 21,500.

36 What is the per capita waste generation in California?

Approximately 1.6 tons (9 pounds per person per day).

37. Are there any special bidding requirements in the County (i.e., minority interests)?

No.