Awards & Recognition

Waste Watcher Award

Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority received a 2008 Waste Watcher Award for capturing and recycling nonferrous metals at the Resource Recovery Facility (RRF). The nonferrous recovery system was installed by Covanta Lancaster the operator of the RRF for LCSWMA in late 2007. The award is sponsored by the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania (PROP), the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association (PWIA), and Solid Waste Association of North America, Pennsylvania Keystone Chapter (SWANA). It will be presented on September 3, 2008 during the Fall Conference sponsored by SWANA, PWIA, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the Pennsylvania Association of Host Municipal Inspectors (PAHMI).

Smart Growth Leadership Award

	Lancaster County Commissioners and Planning Commission presented a Smart Growth Leadership Award for Infrastructure to the Authority for the redevelopment of the Transfer Station Complex in Lancaster. The award was presented to Robert Zorbaugh, Senior Manager, Operations, at the Smart Transportation Summit held on February 19, 2008 at the Railroad Museum in Strasburg, PA. The Authority doubled its operation from 5 to 10 acres in order to build a new Transfer Complex, centrally located within the Central Lancaster Urban Growth Area. This project was undertaken to construct solid waste management facilities that would be capable of handling the growth in waste volumes expected from the Lancaster County community in the next 40 years. To accomplish the project, the Authority acquired and developed 3 adjoining properties, one of which required voluntary brownfield remediation, one which was vacant and a final property that was underutilized.
The $30 million, 5 year project included the construction of 5 new and 1 renovated building which were all designed and built to reflect the historic architectural design features of a 19th century railroad station. The all brick buildings reflect the dominant building material of choice of historic Lancaster City. Buildings include a drive-through household hazardous waste facility (the only permanent facility of its type in Pennsylvania), maintenance garage, scale house, primary transfer facility, small vehicle drop-off building and a renovated administrative office. Permitted PA DEP to accept up to 2,200 tons of material per day, the new 40,000 square foot primary building enables the Authority to achieve a 20% reduction in outbound transfer traffic on Harrisburg Pike and subsequently Route 230 as the vehicles travel to the Resource Recovery or Frey Farm Landfill disposal facilities.

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US EPA LMOP Project of the Year Award

US EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) presented a Project of the Year Award to the Authority and PPL at the 10th Annual LMOP Conference and Project Expo. The conference was held on January 23 and 24, 2007 at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, MD. Rachel Goldstein, LMOP Program Manager presented the award to Jim Warner, Authority Executive Director and Steve Gabrielle, PPL Energy Services Holdings Business Development Manager.

2007 Waste Watcher Award

Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority received the 2007 Waste Watcher Award for Outstanding Achievement in Special Waste Recycling. LCSWMA implemented a Lancaster county-wide Community Events Recycling Program. The award is sponsored by the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania (PROP), the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association (PWIA), and Solid Waste Association of North America, Pennsylvania Keystone Chapter (SWANA). It was presented on September 5, 2007 during the Fall Conference sponsored by the SWANA, PWIA, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the Pennsylvania Association of Host Municipal Inspectors (PAHMI).

Community Leadership Recycling Award

Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority wins Community Leadership Recycling Award for its Battery Recycling Program - Award sponsored by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC)

Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority has been actively recycling rechargeable batteries for over 10 years. The program is run through the Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Highlights include:

• Collecting over half million recyclable batteries over the life of the program
• Providing tens of thousands of battery bags, free of charge, to Lancaster residents
• Facilitating curbside collection for batteries
• Offering free information to residents of Lancaster County on how to handle and dispose of their special waste including batteries in its "Special Waste Brochure"
• Educating school and civic groups through tours of its facilities and with presentations at schools, open houses, and public meetings
• Provided free information to municipalities in Lancaster County for publication in their citizen newsletters on how to recycle batteries

SWANA Award Recognition

Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA)'s 1998 Excellence in Municipal Solid Waste Management Awards Program Gold Award

LCSWMA received SWANA's Excellence Gold Award in the category of Planning and Financial Management. LCSWMA was chosen to receive this award in recognition of their business success which followed measures taken in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1994 which involved the flow control of waste and adversely impacted many other governmental waste operations throughout the United States.

Jim Warner, Executive Director of LCSWMA accepted the award on behalf of LCSWMA. Warner said: "We are very pleased to be recognized with this national award for our efforts over the past several years. While numerous other governmental organizations faltered, the changes we have made have led us to become a more efficient and competitive organization, and as a result, we have been able to strengthen our financial position considerably."

PA Waste Watcher Award

The Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority wins a Waste Watcher Award for its fluorescent bulb and ballast collection and recycling program. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), the Professional Recyclers of PA (PROP), the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association (PWIA) and the Keystone Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) sponsor the awards.

As an extension of the Lancaster County’s Household Hazardous Waste Program, the Authority began collecting mercury-containing lamps and ballasts at its facility. The program is intended to divert mercury and PCBs from the waste stream and to recover metals, glass and mercury.

On October 3, 2003, Waste Watcher Award winners were recognized during a ceremony and luncheon at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel and Convention Center. The program aims to recognize outstanding recycling, waste reduction, reuse and composting programs from across the state. Accepting the award on behalf of the Authority were (3 & 4th from left) Tim Breneisen, Recycling Program Manager and Barbara Baker, Assistant Recycling Program Manager.

Presenting the awards were (l-r) Larry Holley, Chief, Waste Minimization and Planning, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection; John Frederick, Executive Director, PROP; Tom McMonigle, President, PWIA; and Don Birnesser, Keystone Chapter, SWANA.