HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommittee of the Whole - 12 May 2025 - Agenda - Pdf
CITY OF RENTON
AGENDA - Committee of the Whole Meeting
5:00 PM - Monday, May 12, 2025
7th Floor Council Chambers/Videoconference
1. KING COUNTY LONG-TERM DISPOSAL STUDY
a) Presentation
If you would like to attend this week's meeting remotely, you can do so by going to
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86753290028?pwd=M2pOc09HWWNrY05uVnlIWnpGS1E4UT09
Zoom Meeting ID: 867 5329 0028, Passcode: 881839
You can call through Zoom at (253) 215-8782 and use the Meeting ID.
1 | May 8, 2025
Long-Term Disposal Study
City of Renton | May 12, 2025
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Agenda
Timeline Overview
Study Purpose and Background
Study Overview and Engagement
Criteria Analyzed
Key Results
Next Steps
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Timeline Overview
Select Options | Criteria with MSWAC/SWAC | Sign ContractStudy Design | 2021-2022
Information Gathering | 2023-2024
Advisory Committee Briefings | 2024-2025
SEPA | 2025-2026
Advisory Committee Briefings | 2027
Recommendations | 2027
Research | Modeling | Comparative Analysis
Subgroups & Open Houses | Q&A | Report Drafts | Briefings
Scoping Public Comments | Draft EIS Comments | Final EIS
MSWAC/SWAC | City Briefings | Q&A
MSWAC/SWAC | Executive | Comp Plan
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4 | May 8, 2025
Our Engagement So Far
•Multiple MSWAC/SWAC Updates
•Open Houses
•5 Subgroup Meetings on LTD Study
•Overview
•Refuse-derived Fuel, Gasification, Pyrolysis
•Waste Export by Rail (WEBR), Mass Burn with WEBR
•WEBR, Mass Burn with WEBR deeper dive
•Sound Cities Association Public Issues Committee Briefing
•Regional Policy Committee Briefings
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5 | May 8, 2025
Purpose of the Long-Term Disposal (LTD) Study
To help inform the decision
making for County and ILA
Partners
Cedar Hills Regional Landfill
expected to reach capacity by
2040
To help plan for various waste
amounts, including Re+ waste
impacts
To help plan for 2040-2060
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6 | May 8, 2025
Beyond the Scope of the LTD Study
•Hyper local impacts on environment and communities
•The SEPA EIS and a siting study will take a closer look at these impacts
•How Re+ will look
•This study is focused on disposal, not waste prevention and diversion. Re+ is
considered in the analysis.
•Rate Impacts
•Rates were not forecasted for 2040, but capital and operating costs were
analyzed
•Cost benefit analysis of combining different disposal methods
•Only 2 options are viable
•Partial Early Export
•Previous analysis shows it is too expensive to export and landfill at Cedar
Hills at the same time.
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Five Disposal Options Studied
Waste Export by Rail (WEBR)
Mass Burn with WEBR (Mass Burn)
Gasification
Pyrolysis
Refuse-Derived Fuel
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8 | May 8, 2025
Study Criteria
How expensive to implement?Economic Impact
Environmental Impact
Social Impact
Capacity
Logistics
Operating History
What are the impacts to climate, water, air, health, etc.?
What are the impacts to local neighborhoods?
How does each method handle different waste tonnages and types?
How easily does each method fit into King County systems?
What is the historical record of performance, safety, and compliance?
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Key Takeaways
Refuse-Derived Fuel Gasification & Pyrolysis
•Technically capable of processing
tonnage amounts
•High competition against better
RDF feedstock, like Construction &
Demo waste
•There are no guaranteed markets
that will buy Municipal Solid Waste-
based RDF
•Most existing facilities are smaller
demonstration/pilot plants
•Facilities have not been successful
in processing MSW without many
challenges
•Unable to process even low-end
tonnage amounts
Advisory Committees unanimously agreed to remove these options from consideration. Analyses will
remain in the final report.
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10 | May 8, 2025
Key Takeaways
Mass Burn with WEBR (1 of 2)
•Capital: $1.2 billion; Operational: $54 million + $23 million ash disposal; Cost
per Ton of $231 (2040$)
•Difficult to site and permit
•Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) shows benefit in non-renewable energy demand,
acidification potential, and smog formation potential.
•LCA shows detriment in global warming, water consumption, and cancer
potential.
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Key Takeaways
Mass Burn with WEBR (2 of 2)
•Financially disincentivizes lowering tonnage throughput (not very compatible
with Re+)
•Reduces waste 75% by weight. Ash residuals would need to be transported to
ash monofill (WEBR)
•Recent closures of Mass Burn facilities on West Coast
•Energy from Mass Burn generally prohibited from being used within the State
due to Clean Energy Transformation Act, MSW not renewable resource under
state law
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12 | May 8, 2025
Key Takeaways
Waste Export by Rail
•Capital: $3.3 million; Operational: $72 million; Cost per Ton of $108 (2040$)
•Can utilize existing infrastructure, so no need to site and build a new facility
•LCA shows benefit in water consumption. Neutral in cancer potential.
•Can more easily accommodate changing tonnage amounts (more compatible
with Re+)
•Washington State Rail Plan 2019-2040: King County tonnage and expected rail
use growth should not significantly impact rail capacity
•Railroads prefer contracts of 5-10 years. Future pricing projections are difficult
and exposes County to risk
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13 | May 8, 2025
Click to edit master text style
•Q2 2025: Begin SEPA Process
•Dates TBD: Scoping Comment Period (4 in-person, 1 virtual)*
•Dates TBD: Draft EIS Comment Period (4 in-person, 1 virtual)*
•Q2 2025: Begin City Briefings*
•2025-2026: Regular EIS updates to Advisory Committees*
•Q4 2026: Final EIS
•Q1-Q2 2027: Seek Advisory Committee recommendations
•Q2 2027: Exec Office decision
Next Steps
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14 | May 8, 2025
Brian Halverson
brhalverson@kingcounty.gov
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