City of Racine Transfer Station

Background

For nearly 60 years, the Kestrel Hawk Landfill served as the primary municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal site for the City of Racine, Wisconsin. With the landfill reaching capacity, the city faced the urgent need to identify alternative waste management solutions. To address this challenge cost-effectively, the city engaged Foth to evaluate and recommend viable options for future MSW disposal.

Approach

Our team worked collaboratively with the city to assess its existing solid waste management system and explore future strategies. Our comprehensive analysis closely considered three potential options:

•  Option 1. Direct haul to an area landfill – Evaluated the operational impacts of transporting waste to external landfills, including increased personnel costs, vehicle operation and maintenance (O&M) costs, additional capital expenses for more haul trucks, and disposal fees.
•  Option 2. Construction of a transfer station – Assessed capital investment and ongoing operational costs, including staffing and potential contract operations.
•  Option 3. Privatization – Explored outsourcing all aspects of waste and recycling services, including collection, hauling, and disposal.

The Option 1 analysis included the additional employee hours, wear and tear on trucks, additional haul truck needs, and landfill disposal fees for hauling to several landfills located outside of the city. The Option 2 analysis included the capital expenses of transfer station construction and its operating costs including staffing and, as a sub-option, its contract operation. The Option 3 analysis evaluated complete privatization of the city’s waste and recycling services including collection, hauling, and disposal.

Each option was evaluated based on six key criteria: capital and operational costs, financial risk, impacts to city operations, impacts to city residents, implementation timeline, and potential regulatory issues. A weighted framework was developed to objectively select the optimal option. Option 2, for the city to construct, own and operate a transfer station, was selected.

Given the closure of Kestrel Hawk Landfill at the end of 2022, the city required a transition plan to manage solid waste until the transfer station construction was complete. Foth prepared a Request for Proposals to solicit interested parties to provide disposal services for MSW until the transfer station was constructed. The city selected and contracted with a landfill to meet this interim need.

The new transfer station project included an environmental site assessment, solid waste permitting, building construction, selection and installation of solid waste and recyclables compactors, selection and purchase of a front-end loader and single scale, and site work for the 8,800 square foot building. The transfer station was designed to manage both MSW and Recyclables in separate areas of the tipping floor, with separate compactors and a covered loading dock area for residents to drop off electronics and bulky items that may be transferred to another facility. Additionally, the building houses a scale office where residents can conduct transactions for dropping off individual pay items.

Our team provided site civil engineering, permitting, and expertise in solid waste management and facility design. Trusted Foth partners, KOMA and Emanuelson-Podas (EP), provided architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design services. Both firms brought extensive experience to meet the unique requirements of this type of industrial building.

Results

Sustainable design solutions were incorporated throughout the planning and design phases, reflecting the city’s goal to environmental stewardship. The project was publicly bid in spring 2023 and awarded to a local Racine contractor. Construction was completed in 2024.