K.

Martin
Organization Behavior 2012

Solid & Hazardous Waste Department

Collier County Government
Collier County, FL

K.Martin
Organization Behavior 2012

The title of the report is called Solid & Hazardous Waste Department. It is about how the Collier
County collects and disposes of basically garbage that you throw away and the hazardous waste
along with it. It will also discuss the recycling system that the County has in place and how the
County works with different organizations to keep the environment clean. to gather more
information for the report. This is going to be both educational and interesting as well.
I am going to be discussing the reclamation process and the reasons behind the operation at the
Landfill. Landfill reclamation is the process of basically expanding the landfill capacity by not
acquiring additional land. As the cost of building new landfills keeps rising due to population
growth, technologies have allow landfills to reclaim the space to allow for continue dumping on
old landfills. This process is becoming more attractive and acceptable as part of the state and
local communities development strategies.
The Collier County Landfill was one of the first landfills to utilize the reclamation process. There
are two cells which is basically the hills where the garbage trucks dump their loads. The cells
that the County reclaimed were cells 1 and 2. It cost less than the allotted budget of $7 million.
The best part of the reclamation process that the County did was it saved on valuable landfill air
space. This project was approved by the BOCC in 2006 and was completed 2 years later.
During the reclamation plan study, the County wanted to decrease the site closure costs, reduce
the risk of ground-water contamination from the landfill, recover soil for use as landfill cover,
and recover recyclable materials.
Concerns for the public were understood thus the Collier County Board of County Commissions
realized early that they needed to do something to gain public approval. Thats why they came up
with the reclamation process to also save taxpayers money as well.
According to the EPA there are many benefits to the reclamation project but some of them are
negative. The technology may release methane and other gases that can be harmful. The Collier
County Landfill has a Gas to Energy plant that takes those harmful gases and converts them to
electricity and then sells it to FPL. It was a joint operation between the County and Waste
Management.
In 2010, the Collier County Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Department received two
awards for the Landfill Reclamation of Cells 1 and 2. They were the SWANA 2010 Landfill

K.Martin
Organization Behavior 2012
Reuse Excellence Award and the Sustainable Florida Collins Center for Public Policy 2010 Best
Practice Award.
Mission statement of the Solid & Hazardous Waste Management is to deliver best value, high
quality, sustainable solid waste management services that meet our customers expectations. It is
our number one priority to continue to conserve landfill airspace through the implementation of
the Integrates Solid Waste Management Strategy approved by the Board of County
Commissioners on December 5, 2006. The Strategy is also aligned with the Solid Waste SubElement of Collier Countys Growth Management Plan.
In delivering our vision and mission, the Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Department
follows the County Managers Enduring Guiding Principles, and is continually cognizant of our
priorities.
Stay in Compliance
Meet the Demand with Sustainability
Focus on the Customer
Build the TEAM for the Future
Business Determinants:
The Solid Waste & Hazardous Management Department operates under the following business
determinants.
Provide Collier County with an efficient and economical balance of public and private services
that meet state requirements for solid waste collection and disposal in a manner to assure the
public health and safety, and to protect the air, water and land resources.
Operate in support of the Board-approved Integrated Solid & Hazardous Waste Management
Strategys four components.
Source Reduction
Material Reuse and Recycling
Diversion
Optimizing Existing Assets and Resources
Responsibly manage and maintain compliance with all local, state, and federal laws, regulations
and permit requirements at the Collier County Landfill, the Immokalee Transfer Station, the
closed Eustis Avenue Landfill and the Naples, Marco Island, North Collier and Carnestown
Recycling Drop-off Centers.

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Organization Behavior 2012
Hurricane Preparation:
Hurricane preparation and recovery is an integral component of the Solid & Hazardous Waste
Management Departments core business function. Planning for hurricane debris recovery
requires Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Florida Public Assistance plan
approvals that ensure full cost recovery from the federal and state agencies. A hurricane debris
recovery mission includes:
Phase 1

Pre-storm Preparations

Phase 2

Response/Mobilization and Staging

Phase 3

Recovery/Removal and Reduction

Phase 4

Consolidation Last Pass and Staging Site Cleanup

Phase 5

Close Out of Financial and State/FEMA Applications

Phase 6

Final Payments Received from the State and FEMA.

The Collier County Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Departments best interest is to
save airspace and provide optimum customer service, through the proper handling and disposal
of waste and recyclable materials. It is our direction to continuously improve services and
implement programs through training that will accomplish our main goal airspace preservation,
safety and compliance. Some of the necessary trainings are:

40 hours Hazardous Material Awareness. Training required under FAC 62.730 and
OSHA
Spotter Training FAC 62.701.9.00 (2). Solid Waste personnel are the front line spotters
for hazardous materials and prohibited items. Preventing disposal of these items in our
landfill is critical for compliance
MOLO certifications are recommended for legal compliance. Upon completion of this
certification, Solid Waste Management staff will be eligible for additional course work
which allows expansion of our operation
Basic Chemistry for HHW Collection Centers and Chemical Compatibility. These
classes enhance the ability of handling hazardous material
Forklift Certification. This is an OSHA requirement, Standard 29 CFR 1926.
DOT Debris Management Class. This is required for FEMA reimbursement eligibility.
First Aid, CPR and AED Certification. Required per County Policy.

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Organization Behavior 2012
Gas to Energy Regulation Course. Required for compliance with Title V Air Quality
Monitoring
The Collier County Solid & Hazardous Waste Management has a five year operational plan that
includes both operational and capital projects that reflect the priorities established in the
Integrated Solid Waste Management Strategy. It was approved by the Board of County
Commissioners on December 5, 2006. The Integrated Solid Waste Management Strategy is
comprised of the following four components: Source Reduction, Material Reuse and Recycling,
Diversion, Optimizing Existing Assets and Resources and Obtaining Additional Facilities.
The operations section has made great strides in efficiency. Good communication from the
bottom up and sideways management has drastically changed the standard operating procedures.
Customers enter, are greeted by staff and given directions. Team members take this opportunity
to inquire of customers needs and educate them about other programs as applicable. Customer
comments drive the business and provide feedback necessary to improve the operations and
effectiveness of the landfill and recycling centers.
The Public Utilities Division which includes the SHWD strives to exceed expectations and
provide operational excellence at all times. A component of operational excellence is providing
exceptional customer service. Each customer contact is treated as an opportunity to impress the
customer as well as educated about proper disposal. One approach is the one call gets is all
customer service system. So, as you can see, customers are the backbone to the department.
Their feedback is very important to the operation.
Now, in the department itself, we can give feedback on how the operation is run. We have a
couple of recognition programs that include, employee of the month and year and a program
where supervisors can thank an employee on the spot by four different ways. They are gift cards,
e-cards, instant certificates and handwritten notes.
There is a lot more to the Collier County Landfill and the Recycling Centers then what it seems.
The partnerships that are forged between Collier County and Waste Management is outstanding.
All the vendors that come to the landfill and the recycling centers all play a part in keeping
Collier beautiful. The supervisor of the landfill oversees the operation of the scalehouse. There
are some changes that I would do if I was the landfill supervisor. For starters, I would make sure
that we have adequate staff when we have round ups which are a specific designation where we
offer free dump. I would also look at the cost of things and find ways to curve the spending and
save money even though the landfill and recycling centers are self sustaining. Other than that, I
think the landfill and recycling centers are running in good order. Its amazing operation and if
you havent check out the landfill or recycling centers, I would do so.

K.Martin
Organization Behavior 2012

References

http://www.colliergov.net/Index.aspx?page=3304
http://www.colliergov.net/index.aspx?page=1509
http://www.colliergov.net/Index.aspx?page=893
www.colliergov.net/index.aspx?page=119
http://swana.org/Portals/ExcellenceAwards/2009/Special_Waste/Gold_collier.pdf