City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: JANUARY 7, 2015
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, ACTING CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Grant Application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for $10,000 to Evaluate the Feasibility of Collecting Food Waste From Multi-family Complexes.
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of a Grant Application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 3 for evaluating the viability of collecting food waste at apartment/condominium complexes for composting.
RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council:
1. Approve the submission of the $10,000 grant application due February 1 for evaluating food waste collection at apartment/condominium complexes; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary documents that may be required.
BACKGROUND: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region III, is soliciting proposals that address the national priorities of increasing composting of food waste and improving recycling of municipal solid waste. This funding supports the EPA's strategic goal of land preservation and restoration. Grant awards will range from $5,000 to $10,000. The funding can be used to fund research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, studies, surveys, and public education. City staff proposes to request $10,000 to demonstrate the feasibility of collecting food waste for composting from two to three apartment/condominium complexes located in an urban setting for a one year period.
DISCUSSION: The U.S. EPA is recommending that, where feasible, localities discontinue disposing of food waste as trash because traditional disposal methods generate global climate change gases. In addition, food waste when converted into compost can be used to remediate degraded soils without the application of petroleum based fertilizers. Although many localities on the West Coast of the United States have integrated this recommendation into their solid waste management plans, most East Coast localities have only recently begun to experiment with special food waste collection (organics collection). The City of Alexandria has shown regional leadership by implementing food waste recovery for composting at its schools and recently offered residents the opportunity to bring food waste to farmers' markets for processing into compost. The Farmer's Market Composting Program, in particular, has been successful. Because the success of this effort relies on density of potential customers, City staff proposes to use the grant funding to test the viability of collecting food waste economically and trouble-free in an apartment/condominium complex. Alexandria has a number of apartment/condominium complexes that have been evaluated as suitable for a pilot demonstration given the environmental values of many of their tenants. EPA staff has indicated the City's grant request would be strong because of the expertise of the City's staff and the City's participation in such regional groups such as the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, both good forums for 'spreading the word' about the project's results.
FISCAL IMPACT: No impact. The Resource Recovery Division, (Transportation & Environmental Services) is requesting grant funds in the amount of $10,000 to cover 100% of the costs associated with the demonstration project.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Solid Waste Management Assistance Grant - EPA-R3-LCD-07
STAFF:
Emily Baker, P.E., Acting Deputy City Manager
Yon Lambert, AICP, Acting Director, T&ES
Antonio Baxter, Division Chief, Strategic Management Services, T&ES
Alton Weaver, Division Chief, Resource Recovery Division, T&ES
Michael Clem, Recycling Program Analyst, Resource Recovery Division, T&ES