Authority Dedication Event Celebrates Completion of Resource Recovery Center Site Improvements and New Ash Recycling & Processing Facility

The York County Solid Waste Authority will hold a dedication event for invited guests on June 4, 2019 starting at 9 AM. The event celebrates the completion of a multi-year site improvement construction project at the York County Resource Recovery Center (YCRRC) and the start-up of a new Ash Recycling and Processing Facility located directly across the street from the YCRRC. The Authority invested approximately $100 million in these projects that lay the foundation for the next 30-plus years of responsible municipal solid waste management in York County.

Construction for the Site Improvement Project at the YCRRC began in 2015 and reached substantial completion in 2018. Examples of site improvements include expansion of the waste storage pit to increase storage capacity; the addition of a North Tipping Hall to separate transfer trailers from smaller waste vehicles to enhance safety; a new vehicle scale system featuring two inbound and two outbound scales and radio frequency identification for commercial waste haulers; a Small Load Drop-off Facility for residential waste, dedicated loads of yard waste, white goods and electronics recycling; a new education center and storm water capture and reuse systems. Equipment replacement and refurbishing to maintain performance of existing equipment was conducted concurrent with site improvement construction activities.

The Ash Recycling and Processing Facility construction began in 2016 and equipment testing began in May 2019. Once testing concludes, facility start-up will commence. The project was developed cooperatively by the Authority and York Reduction Systems, LP (YRS). The Authority developed the site and constructed the facility while YRS provided and will operate the wet separation technology used in the facility to recover useable sand and aggregate and all recyclable metals from the remaining YCRRC combustion ash. This facility is the first of its kind in the United States. The process captures viable commodities for resale/reuse and greatly reduces the volume of ash that must be managed in a landfill.  Through a 10-year agreement with the Authority, YRS serves as the operator of the Ash Facility and employs approximately 10 people.

Notes Authority Executive Director Dave Vollero, “These projects will enable the Authority to provide an important public health service to York County through the implementation of an integrated system of waste management that minimizes risks to human health and the environment, fights climate change, generates alternative energy, saves valuable land and provides a proven long-term solution to managing York County’s municipal solid waste”.

The dedication event features remarks by York County President Commissioner Susan Byrnes, Authority Board Chairman Ed Heindel, Covanta Executive Vice President of Asset Management Derek Veenhof, York Reduction Systems, LP Acting Chief Operating Officer Jay Berman and Authority Executive Director Dave Vollero. Remarks will be followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the Site Improvement Project and an overview of the Ash Recycling and Processing Facility.

The Authority facilitates responsible solid waste management through an integrated strategy that emphasizes waste reduction, reuse, recycling and resource recovery. The Authority is the owner of the YCRRC in Manchester Township. The YCRRC is a technologically sophisticated waste-to-energy facility that uses garbage as the fuel to produce power. Energy from waste is a designated Tier II source of alternative energy in Pennsylvania. The facility has been in operation for 30 years and currently manages York County’s household waste, as well as manufacturing and construction/demolition waste that is compatible with the facility’s combustion technology and emissions controls. The facility is self-sufficient through revenue generated through its tip fee and the sale of alternative energy. The Authority also owns the Ash Recycling and Processing Facility located across the street from the Resource Recovery Center.