The Area Need
The Puente Hills Landfill which currently serves the Pomona area
is scheduled to close in 2013. As a result Municipal Solid Waste
will be forced to move longer distances thereby increasing
costs which in turn affects future rates. Transfer Stations are
designed to efficiently move solid waste
long distances. The Pomona Valley Transfer Station is needed to
consolidate waste into transfer trucks that have three times the
capacity of a collection truck. By consolidating the loads we are
reducing the cost of transporting to a distant landfill thereby
managing future rates.
 Location
and History
The proposed location for the Pomona Valley Transfer Station is
a 10.5 acre site located at 1371 E. Ninth Street in Pomona. This site
has been zoned for General Industry for decades.
In 1999 a Solid Waste Ad Hoc Committee was appointed by the Pomona City Council
to study, identify and recommend the best location for
a Solid Waste Transfer Station facility.
After much consideration
and review of over 20
other potential locations the proposed Pomona
Valley Transfer Station site was chosen by the Ad Hoc Committee
as the best location for such a facility. To date this remains the only thorough and objective
study done on the issue.
The proposed site was chosen for having met
all site criteria set as a result of the study. The criteria included but was not
limited to:
-
Size of Site – large enough for operations and prevent back-ups
onto city streets
-
Zoning – General Industrial
-
Proximity to Residence and
Schools – minimum distance of 1,000 feet
-
Proximity to Freeways – accessible to and
from freeway while minimizing traffic over city surface streets
-
Streets
(Traffic Index Value) – in order to minimize wear and tear
on city streets the site should be located on or near streets
with traffic index value of 6 or more
Two criteria that have engendered concern are Traffic
and Proximity.
With regard to Traffic, nearby residential streets will not be
affected. The trucks entering and exiting the facility will have
designated direct
routes (pdf) they will be required
to travel, which include access to and from nearby freeways. The
impacts of these routes are minimal due to the existing levels
of truck traffic. Regarding Proximity, the site is over
2,000 feet away from
the nearest school, double the stated criteria and
again located in a General Industrial area.
Facility and Environment
 The
overall project design of the Pomona Valley Transfer Station has
received a Gold LEED Certification (Leadership
in Energy & Environmental
Design). LEED is an internationally recognized standard
of the U.S. Green Building Council for environmentally
friendly construction. LEED measures performance in energy usage/savings
and environment protections such as water table impact and CO2
emissions reduction. The Pomona Valley Transfer Station is the
only proposed facility considered by the City of Pomona to even
apply for LEED Certification.
The proposed facility
is a state of the art, completely enclosed
facility. It is equipped
with a high-tech odor and ventilation system, any potential odors
would be completely neutralized by the non-toxic, natural enzyme
system. The facility will also incorporate Solar Power and Translucent
Panels. Furthermore, the site would also include an on-site
CNG fueling facility. The project’s stated use of CNG
fueled trucks as opposed to diesel vehicles would fully mitigate potential risk
exposure impacts from diesel particulate matter. In addition, NO
Hazardous Waste will be accepted at this facility by State Law.
Local and Area Benefits
 The Pomona Valley Transfer Station brings with it many
local and area benefits. To begin, reduced
area traffic congestion due to the fact that smaller vehicle loads
are transferred into larger vehicles at a ratio of 3 to 1.
Add to that the fact that due
to use of CNG vehicles the area benefits from reduced
truck air emissions. Futhermore, the use of CNG fueled trucks mitigates
potential risk exposure impacts from diesel particulate matter.
The local economy benefits from a project that will generate $14
million dollars of new construction, not to mention the large number
of construction jobs. Construction permits
and an increase in property taxes from the valuation of a
state of the art facility along with the infusion
of revenue from the purchase of materials and the use
of local support services add to the benefits brought by this project. When completed the
Pomona Valley Transfer Station will provide
50 new permanent jobs with benefits that include health care and retirement. Finally,
the project will generate nearly One Million
Dollars in annual
host fees to the City of Pomona, money that could be used to provide
revenue for public safety and other essential city services.
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