2018-173 Landfill Height and Non-Denton Waste InformationDate: November 30, 2018 Report No. 2018-173
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
During the concluding items portion of the November 6, 2018 City Council meeting, Council
Member Armintor requested information regarding options to limit the height of landfill
operations. On November 11, 2018, Council Member Armintor submitted an email request for
information related to landfill customers originating outside of Denton. At the November 27,
2018 Council meeting, Council Member Briggs requested information on the volume of waste
received from the materials recycling facility that originated outside of Denton.
LANDFILL HEIGHT:
As discussed in an Informal Staff Report (ISR) delivered to City Council on October 12, 2018,
staff estimates that the landfill’s current waste disposal capacity will be depleted by
approximately 2028. To address the community’s future waste disposal needs, the City applied
for a permit amendment with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in
January 2017. The amendment proposes add an additional 107.64 acres of waste capacity and an
increase in landfill height of approximately 160 feet. If approved as proposed, an additional 60
years of landfill capacity would be added to the site (last year of operation is projected to be
2088).
The permit amendment is currently undergoing technical review by the TCEQ. Once complete,
the agency will issue notices requesting comments from members of the public, and a public
meeting may be facilitated by the TCEQ. During these processes, the TCEQ may elect to revise
aspects of the permit, including operating height. Following approval of the permit amendment,
staff intends to craft a revised site plan and specific use permit (SUP) for the Council’s
consideration. At that time, the City Council may restrict operations at a final height lower than
the operating height approved by the TCEQ.
LANDFILL WASTE ACCEPTANCE:
Council Member Armintor’s November 11, 2018 email requested information on the volume of
waste received at the landfill from other cities, the cities which utilize the facility, and the rates
assessed to these customers for landfill services.
The table on the following page was provided as part of an October 12, 2018 staff report. The
highlighted rows represent waste volumes received from other communities. A “wholesale”
customer is defined as any hauler of municipal solid waste who provides collection services in
bulk to surrounding communities. The residual waste received from the City’s material recycling
facility (MRF) is also classified as wholesale waste and represents approximately 6,692 tons of
the wholesale waste received by the landfill in Fiscal Year 2017-2018. Based on local
contamination rates, staff estimates that approximately 2,731 tons of the waste received from the
MRF originated from communities other than Denton.
Date: November 30, 2018 Report No. 2018-173
Waste Tonnage by
Source FY 2013-14 FY 2014-15 FY 2015-16 FY 2016-17 FY 2017-18
Commercial
Collections 70,936 76,553 81,991 83,928 85,349
Residential Collections 22,709 24,081 25,253 26,382 26,502
Landfill – City
Department 4,374 7,640 7,895 1,609 5,376
Landfill – Denton
Resident/Business 21,585 23,468 29,295 50,683 49,304
Landfill – Non-Denton
Resident/Business 6,012 5,432 10,073 5,349 9,897
Landfill – Wholesale 70,079 100,152 99,416 101,698 103,574
Total Waste Tonnage 195,695 237,325 253,923 269,648 279,984
The communities utilizing the landfill facility during fiscal year 2017-18 include:
Alvord Corinth Hickory Creek Nocona Shady Shores
Argyle Crossroads Highland
Village
North Lakes Sherman
Arlington Dallas Irving Oak Point Slidell
Aubrey Decatur Justin Paradise Southlake
Aurora Denton County Keller Pilot Point Springtown
Bartonville Double Oak Krugerville Plano Sunset
Bowie Era Krum Ponder Texoma
Boyd Flower Mound Lake Dallas Pottsboro The Colony
Bridgeport Forestburg Lake Kiowa Prosper Tioga
Carrollton Fort Worth Lewisville Providence Trophy Club
Celina Frisco Lindsay Rhome Valley View
Chico Gainesville Little Elm Roanoke Watauga
Colleyville Grapevine McKinney Runaway Bay Westlake
Collinsville Hackberry Melissa Saginaw White
Settlement Coppell Haltom City Muenster Saint Jo Whitesboro
Copper Canyon Haslet Newark Sanger
The waste received from these communities include private waste haulers, individual residents
and businesses, and businesses headquartered in these communities that are performing work in
Denton.
The rates assessed for landfill usage vary according to the volume and type of material being
delivered to the facility. For fiscal year 2017-18, rates assessed to non-Denton residents and
businesses ranged from $10.00 to $65.50 per ton. The revenue generated as a result of these
transactions totals $2,814,908, approximately 25% of the Landfill operation’s total revenue for
fiscal year 2017-18.
Date: November 30, 2018 Report No. 2018-173
It is worth noting that Council implemented rate increases at the start of Fiscal Year 2018-2019
for landfill customers classified as Wholesale and Sludge haulers. In accordance with
recommendations made as part of a comprehensive rate study, the wholesale rate increased from
$23.00 per ton to $24.50 per ton, and the sludge rate increased from $23.00 per ton to $46.00 per
ton. Through the first month of the fiscal year, the volume of wholesale and sludge waste
accepted at the landfill has decreased from last year’s monthly averages by approximately 4%
and 62% respectively.
Please feel free to contact me if you have additional questions or concerns.
STAFF CONTACT(S):
Ethan Cox
Director of Solid Waste
(940) 349-7421
Ethan.Cox@cityofdenton.com