Pinellas County Utilities Waste Disposal Programs

 

Scalehouse | Hand Unload | Waste-to-Energy | Emissions | Metals Recovery System (MRS) | Bridgeway Acres Landfill | Inspection Pad / Hot Pad | Blade Clean Out | Tarp & Litter Law

Scalehouse

 

The scalehouse complex has three inbound scales, one remote scale, and one outbound scale. Each scale can weigh vehicles up to 120,000 pounds. Approximately 800 to 1,000 vehicles use the facility each day. The scalehouse weighs vehicles delivering household and business waste, construction and demolition debris, yard waste, and tires 46 inches or less in diameter. We will not accept bulk liquids, chemicals, hazardous waste, or explosives at this site. Scale attendants have the authority to request the inspection of any load.

 

Pinellas County Utilities charges a uniform tipping fee of $37.50 per ton. We established this rate in 1989 and it remains one of the lowest in the nation for a waste-to-energy facility. We base our charges on the difference in vehicle weight before and after disposal of waste. Smaller vehicles can pay a flat fee (depending on the size of the vehicle). Forms of payment we accept include cash, personal checks, or company checks.

 

Hours of Operation:

Monday through Friday: 6 AM to 6 PM

Saturday: 7 AM to 5 PM

Closed on Sundays.

Reduced hours may be in effect on some holidays

Hand Unload

 

The hand unload, or mini-refuse station, is an area where people can safely unload solid waste by hand from smaller vehicles, thereby avoiding larger trucks at the landfill and on the waste-to-energy plantÕs tipping floor. There are eight 40-cubic yard roll-off containers set at the edge of an elevated unloading platform to make it easier for customers to unload their waste. Up to 16 vehicles can unload at one time with two spaces designated for unloading metals only. The landfill contractor has responsibility for maintaining this area and transporting the full containers to the Waste-to-Energy plant.

 

Waste-To-Energy Plant

 

The Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant began commercial operations in 1983 with two combustion units (boilers). In 1986, Pinellas County added a third unit to meet the demand of increasing amounts of waste discarded by Pinellas CountyÕs citizens and businesses. Each boiler can burn 1,050 tons of solid waste each day. These boilers are among the largest in the United States. Pressurized steam created from the combustion process turns turbine generators that create electricity.

 

The plant can produce up to 75 megawatts (MW) of electricity per day; it averages about 55 MW. This is enough electricity to power approximately 45,000 homes and businesses every day. Florida Power Corp. (FPC) buys the electricity from Pinellas County Utilities and distributes it back into the community.

 

The refuse pit (commonly referred to as the pit area) measures 240 feet long, 55 feet wide, and 35 feet deep. It has enough room to store three days worth of garbage. Solid waste brought into the plant is unloaded on the tipping floor, inspected, and then pushed into the pit. Three overhead cranes transfer the garbage into the boilers from the refuse pit. Each crane can lift six tons of garbage per grab.

 

In 2001, Pinellas County Utilities retrofitted the existing WTE to further improve environmental controls; specifically, the air pollution control system was replaced with a spray dryer absorber and fabric filter for each combustion unit. Additionally, an activated carbon injection system was constructed to control mercury, and a selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) system controls nitrogen oxides. This system also includes a continuous emissions monitoring system. The retrofit cost approximately $96,693,000. Pinellas County Utilities paid for all this work using reserve money; therefore, a tipping fee increase was not necessary.

 

<a href=http://www.wastemanagement.com>Wheelabrator Pinellas </a>currently has a contract to operate and maintain the plant.

 

Emissions Before and After the Retrofit

 

 

The percentage of all emissions from within Pinellas County and Hillsborough County that originate at the Pinellas County Utilities Waste-to-Energy facility.

 

 

Metals Recovery System (MRS)

The 70,000 square foot building that houses the metals recovery system (MRS) is operated under contract by a resource recycling company. Here combusted metals are recovered from the ash, shredded, and sorted using a combination of magnets, eddy currents, and hand sorting. Scrap dealers buy the segregated metals. Pinellas County Utilities, the WTE operator, and the MRS operator all share the revenue.

Bridgeway Acres Landfill

 

Pinellas County Utilities maintains the only operational Class I landfill in the County, the Bridgeway Acres landfill. Landfilling solid waste is a permanent disposal process by which we spread, compact, and cover (seal) waste with either ash from the waste-to-energy facility or soil. This controls odor and protects the surrounding environment by preventing air and water from seeping into the waste. Because Pinellas County doesnÕt have a lot of landfill space and because we have more environmentally sound options available to us, we use our landfill only to manage waste that we can neither combust nor recycle. Less than 15% of the waste we receive ends up in our landfill; we either convert the remaining 85% to energy in the waste-to-energy facility or recycle it.

 

Types of waste that we divert to the landfill include construction debris, special wastes, and other waste by-products. We also use the landfill as a backup when the plantÕs boilers are not functioning and the plant is unable to store all incoming municipal solid waste.

 

Pinellas County Utilities currently has a contract with Onyx North America Corporation to operate the Bridgeway Acres Landfill. Recent calculations project the landfillÕs life to the year 2043. The contractor accepts 200 tons of waste on average every day, but must be prepared to accept over 3,000 tons a day within a few minutesÕ notice in case the boilers become inoperative.

 

 

Inspection Pad / Hot Pad

 

Occasionally a solid waste collection truck may arrive with its load on fire (caused by flammable materials in its load). Should this occur, the driver dumps the load on the inspection pad, spreads out the waste, and extinguishes the fire. In addition, customers sometimes accidentally throw away items such as money or other valuables in their solid waste. If they contact the hauler in time and the truck the item is in can be identified, that truck is directed to the hot pad. There, the driver dumps the truckÕs contents and the customer searches through the waste. The fee for this service is $100, paid to the landfill contractor for pick up and disposal after the search. This area is also the location where vehicles are directed for random and periodic inspections by the Inspections and Safety Unit in accordance with Florida law.

 

 

Tarp & Litter Law

 

In accordance with Florida Statute 316.520 concerning loads on vehicles:

 

1. No vehicle may be driven or moved on any highway unless the vehicle is so constructed or loaded as to prevent any of its load from dropping, shifting, leaking, blowing, or otherwise escaping therefrom, except that sand may be dropped only for the purpose of securing traction, or water or other substance may be sprinkled on a roadway in cleaning or maintaining the roadway.

 

2. It is the duty of every owner and driver, severally, of any vehicle hauling, upon any public road or highway open to the public, dirt, sand, lime rock, gravel, silica, or other similar aggregate or trash, garbage, or any similar material which could fall or blow from such vehicle, to prevent such materials from falling, blowing, or in any way escaping from such vehicle. Covering and securing the load with a close-fitting tarpaulin or other appropriate cover is required.

 

Penalties

 

¥ Haulers are subject to a minimum penalty of a written warning and a maximum penalty of an $80 fine. A penalty may also include a moving violation with three points against the driverÕs license.

 

¥ Violators entering the Pinellas County Waste-to-Energy facility may be refused service in addition to a financial penalty.

 

Reasons to secure your load

 

¥ Litter is expensive to clean up.

¥ Loose or flying litter is hazardous to other   vehicles near you.

¥ Uncovered loads are against the law.

 

Information line

For additional information regarding this Statute, please call the Pinellas County SheriffÕs office at (727) 582-6200. Please leave your name, phone number and a brief message. A representative will return your telephone call.