The Big Picture

PCD Credit: Good Neighbor Practices 

(1-2 Points, Reciprocal)

Credit Summary

The goal of this credit is to minimize impacts on community quality of life from waste disposal facility operations. The waste disposal facility owned, operated, or controlled by the Local Government or Company has a policy and specified practices to address all aspects of operations that might result in a reduction in the quality of life for the surrounding residents and/or businesses.

Impact Summary

Minimizing impacts of material recovery and organics processing facility operations on community quality of life, especially in close proximity to these facilities, is important in the efforts to improve and increase sustainable practices. This credit would include implementation of litter control and dust controls onsite and further into urban and suburban communities that may be impacted. This will improve the quality of life for humans, plants, and animals in these settings, making them better places to work and live. Specific improvements will include less noise, less odors from waste, pest and vermin control, less traffic, improved litter management, and reduced likelihood of air and water pollution in the area.

Submittal Summary

Meeting the requirements for this credit are Tier specific, see link for more details. For Tier 1, documentation includes proof of no unresolved complaints for the operational elements listed above and no complaints or violations within the last three years for noise, traffic, pests, vermin, and odor. See link for further required documentation.

Case Study and Benefits

Intent and Requirements

Intent

To minimize impacts on community quality of life from waste disposal facility operations.

Local Government & Industry Requirements

The waste disposal facility37 owned, operated, or controlled by the Local Government or Company has a policy and specified practices to address all aspects of operations that might result in a reduction in the quality of life for the surrounding residents and/or businesses, including:

• Litter control and mitigation measures are implemented onsite.
• Litter is inspected and recovered:
  • Urban: within 100 yards of the facility’s boundary and at least ¼ mile along primary access routes.
  • Sub-urban: within 100 yards of the facility’s boundary and at least 1 mile along primary access routes.
  • Rural: within 100 yards of the facility boundary and at least 2 miles along primary access routes.
• Dust control and mitigation measures are implemented onsite.
• Dust control and mitigation measures are implemented:
  • Urban: Within 100 yards of the facility’s boundary and at least ¼ mile along primary access routes.
  • Sub-urban: Within 100 yards of the facility’s boundary; and at least 1 mile along primary access routes.
  • Rural: Within 100 yards of the facility’s boundary; and at least 2 miles along primary access routes.
• New Facilities are not built within the designated Buffer Zone of residences, schools, parks, prisons, playgrounds, nursing homes, day care centers, or other places people live or congregate. The Buffer Zone requirement does not apply to Existing Facilities. 

• Has a system in place to receive and address comments from the community.

And

Tier 1: (1 point)

Demonstrate that the facility has no unresolved or unaddressed complaints regarding the operational elements listed above that are pending before any governing agency or body.

• No unaddressed complaints or violations within the last three years:
  • Noise
  • Traffic
  • Pest/Vermin
  • Odor
• Limit emissions from mobile equipment and other operations according to PCD Credit 3.
• Implement the stormwater management requirements from PCD Credit 2.

Tier 2: (+1 Point)

Fulfill requirements in Tier One. Then complete the following:

• Fund a study to understand the negative effects of waste management operations on individual communities within 5 miles of your solid waste facility
• Implement the requirements of PCD Credit 1 to reduce the amount of diesel fueled vehicles within your fleet that haul waste to and from incinerators, transfer stations, and recycling facilities
• Invest in alternative forms of transportation to and from solid waste facilities

Potential Strategies:

• Conduct regular ‘listening sessions’ with the local community regarding issues that impact the quality of life
• Work with education institutions, activist groups, and/or the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to assess health impacts on surrounding communities
• Invest in barges and rail as a means for transport rather than diesel trucks

Why We Care

Minimizing impacts of material recovery and organics processing facility operations on community quality of life, especially in close proximity to these facilities, is important in the efforts to improve and increase sustainable practices. This credit would include implementation of litter control and dust controls onsite and further into urban and suburban communities that may be impacted. This will improve the quality of life for humans, plants, and animals in these settings, making them better places to work and live. Specific improvements will include less noise, less odors from waste, pest and vermin control, less traffic, improved litter management, and reduced likelihood of air and water pollution in the area.

How to Meet the Requirements

Meeting the requirements for this credit are Tier specific. For Tier 1, Demonstrate that the facility has no unresolved or unaddressed complaints regarding the operational elements listed above that are pending before any governing agency or body. There should be no unaddressed complaints or violations within the last three years for noise, traffic, pests, vermin, and odor. Limit emissions from mobile equipment and other operations according to PCD Credit 3, and implement the stormwater management requirements from PCD Credit 2. For Tier 2, complete the requirements for Tier 1, then fund a study to understand the negative effects of waste management operations on individual communities within 5 miles of your solid waste facility, implement the requirements of PCD Credit 1 to reduce the amount of diesel fueled vehicles within your fleet that haul waste to and from incinerators, transfer stations, and recycling facilities, and invest in alternative forms of transportation to and from solid waste facilities. Other potential strategies include: conduct regular ‘listening sessions’ with the local community regarding issues that impact the quality of life; work with education institutions, activist groups, and/or the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to assess health impacts on surrounding communities; invest in barges and rail as a means for transport rather than diesel trucks

Required Documentation

• Proof of no unresolved complaints for the operational elements listed above and no complaints or violations within the last three years for noise, traffic, pests, vermin, and odor. 
• Proof that a study to understand the negative effects of waste management operations on individual communities within 5 miles of your solid waste facility was funded
• Proof of implementation of PCD Credit 1 requirements to reduce the amount of diesel fueled vehicles within your fleet that haul waste to and from incinerators, transfer stations, and recycling facilities

Case Studies & In-Depth Information

Good Neighbor Environmental Board On the government level, good neighbor practices are already in use through the EPA’s Good Neighbor Environmental Board (GNEB), which advises the President and Congress of the United States on good neighbor practices along the U.S. border with Mexico. Its recommendations are focused on environmental infrastructure needs within the U.S. states contiguous to Mexico and requires membership from the governments of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas; and private organizations, including community development, academic, health, environmental, and other non-governmental entities with experience and expertise on environmental and infrastructure problems along the southwest border. 

The GNEB also confers regularly with Mexican organizations including The Region 1 National Advisory Council for Sustainable Development (Consejo). The statute requires the GNEB to submit an annual report to the President and the Congress. Its first report was published in 1995. Since that time, it has continued to provide an objective, consensus-based voice on strategic approaches for addressing U.S.-Mexico border issues. GNEB’s reports have been translated into Spanish and widely disseminated on both sides of the border. Recurring themes in its guidance include the following: focus on areas of greatest need; better integrate existing projects; support new initiatives that provide added value; involve many different organizations early on and throughout the process; and institute an underlying, environmentally sustainable framework as the basis for making decisions.

Other Resources

Good Neighbor Environmental Board 

On the government level, the EPA’s Good Neighbor Environmental Board advises the President and Congress of the United States on good neighbor practices along the U.S. border with Mexico. Its recommendations are focused on environmental infrastructure needs within the U.S. states contiguous to Mexico. 

Definitions

Buffer Zone

EPA Definition: Buffer zones provide distance between the application block (i.e., edge of the treated field) and bystanders. Buffer zones:

• Allow airborne residues to disperse before reaching bystanders, reducing the potential for fumigant exposure.
• Are established around the perimeter of the application block.
• Extend outward from the edge of the application block perimeter equally in all directions

Dust Control and Mitigation Measures

Washington Department of Ecology Definition: Dust emissions can be prevented or reduced in four basic ways:

1. Limit the creation or presence of dust-sized particles.
2. Reduce wind speed at ground level.
3. Bind dust particles together.
4. Capture and remove dust from its sources.