The York County Solid Waste Authority has begun to take the necessary steps to plan for an expansion of the existing York County Resource Recovery Center (RRC).  For the past decade, the Authority has been tracking York County’s tremendous growth and for the past year has been conducting a waste generation and capacity needs study to assist in anticipating and accommodating York County’s future waste capacity needs.           

As one of the fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania, York County’s infrastructure has been directly impacted by increased development.  Schools, public water and sewer systems, and roadways (to name a few) have all expanded to accommodate our growing population.  Not surprisingly, waste generation rates have been impacted along with all these other vital services.  

The expansion of the RRC will consist of the construction of an additional combustion unit at our present site that will provide capacity to serve York County well into the future.  We expect Veolia Environmental Services, Inc. (our current facility operator) to continue to operate the facility and to provide the same high level of operational excellence that has been its hallmark.  The expansion is a multifaceted project that will evolve over the course of the next several years.  

The environmental and economic benefits of waste-to-energy have made--and continue to make--good sense for York County.  Annually, the York County Resource Recovery Center saves the equivalent of more than 13 acres of land (35 feet deep), 375,000 barrels of oil and recovers thousands of tons of ferrous and non-ferrous metals which are then recycled.  In addition to these savings, the three combustion units at the Resource Recovery Center  produce enough continuous electricity to power more than 20,000 homes.  Our facility uses best available technology to manage air emissions and our outstanding environmental track record speaks for itself.  Commitment to environmental excellence has been and will remain a priority as we move forward with the expansion project.

From an economic perspective, resource recovery has stabilized and contained the cost for waste disposal in York County.  While energy and other “cost of living” expenses have escalated dramatically in recent years, the Authority has held the cost for disposal at $56 a ton for 16 years in a row.  This expansion will enable York Countians to continue to reap these important environmental and economic benefits of waste-to-energy, as well as be assured that the responsible fiscal management practices that have enabled us to maintain a consistently stable tip fee in the past, will be applied to help hold the line on the future cost of waste disposal at the Resource Recovery Center.    

In an era when open space is quickly disappearing, waste-to-energy plays a critical role in preserving our valuable land because it significantly reduces a reliance on the need to landfill garbage.    

The environmental and economic benefits of waste-to-energy that have served our community well for the past 17 years are even more important today and will grow ever more important in the future.  Community involvement in and support of resource recovery and our integrated system of waste management has enabled York County to lay claim to one of the most environmentally responsible, economic and efficient waste management systems in the country.  This expansion is a logical extension of our past efforts and will serve York County’s long-term waste management needs.  

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 York County Resource Recovery Center in Manchester Township; and owns and operates a Yard Waste Transfer Facility, a Recyclable Materials Drop-off Center and an Education Center. 

The Resource Recovery Center (a waste-to-energy facility), has been in operation for 17 years and currently manages York County’s household waste, as well as some manufacturing waste.  The facility is self-sufficient through its own revenue streams and does not rely on tax dollars to fund its operations.