Project Statement:
This project illustrates how landscape
architecture can analyze landscape patterns to develop
new waste management systems designed to improve ecological
and economic function in small communities. The isolated
desert towns of Shoshone + Tecopa, CA, are re-designed
to become waste independent by incorporating alternative
processes that utilize natural systems to divert waste
from landfills. “Wilbur + Waste” demonstrates
how small scale designs can be applied to major global
issues.
Project Narrative:
TOPIC
Inyo County is located in Southern California along
the Nevada border, and is home to 17,000 people. In
one day the county generates over 77,000 pounds of waste,
which is served by four active landfills. Despite these
facilities, Inyo County must export 6% of its waste.
This is mainly due to the fact that half of the county’s
10,000 square miles is dedicated to Death Valley National
Park. This landmass divides the county into a northwest
region, with 99% of the population in towns like Bishop,
Lone Pine and Independence, and a southeast region,
with the remaining 1% of the population dispersed in
a few small towns, including Shoshone and Tecopa. With
the southeast region’s geographical isolation,
these towns do not utilize Inyo County landfills, and
instead make use of landfills that are located outside
the county and state borders.
Currently, Shoshone and Tecopa purchase
waste hauling services, and their waste is transported
thirty miles northeast to Pahrump, Nevada. However,
this arrangement may soon expire. According to the 2007/2008
Inyo County Budget, in order to help fund the costs
of the northwest county landfills, the Inyo County Waste
Management Board decided to cut off waste hauling services
to southeast Inyo County. With this budget cut in place,
residents of southeast Inyo County, from towns like
Shoshone and Tecopa, will be expected to individually
export their own waste thirty miles to Pahrump on a
regular basis. Waste hauling services have since been
reinstated for the current year, however these services
are not guaranteed for the future.
The environmental, social and economical
implications of this budget threat are paramount. This
situation will cause major problems for the fragile
desert ecosystem, specifically since there are pre-existing
issues of illegal dumping in the area. The integrity
of the desert will be challenged and destroyed if illegal
dumping becomes a popular method of waste management.
The impacts on this landscape will have large negative
impacts on tourism in the area, and create a degraded
community. To preserve the unique desert ecosystem and
tourist community in Shoshone and Tecopa, it is essential
that sound waste management practices are engaged.
SITE
Shoshone and Tecopa are small tourist havens in the
otherwise abandoned desert. Local attractions include
Tecopa Hot Springs and the China Date Ranch. Regional
attractions include Dumont Dunes and Death Valley National
Park. The nearest town is Pahrump, Las Vegas is approximately
60 miles east and Baker, Ca is approximately 50 miles
south. Shoshone is home to 52 people, mainly retirees.
Facilities in the two towns include a gas station, a
convenience store, a café, a coffee shop, a motel,
a high school, a local conservancy, a health center,
a museum, and a campground. These places are utilized
by commuters from Pahrump, and students come from all
over the desert. Tecopa is home to 99 people, and has
many of the same facilities, although it has no conservancy
but it has a elementary school. The dynamics of these
two cities are very similar, yet there are a few subtle
differences. Shoshone is much more concentrated than
Tecopa, and exists on the main highway. Many travelers
and truckers pass through and often stop to take a break
in their drive through the desert. Gasoline is pumped,
toilets are flushed and snacks or meals are consumed.
Some of these travelers will extend their stay and enjoy
the mineral pool, or hike around the Amargosa River.
On the other hand, the turnoff for Tecopa is on the
way to Shoshone, which automatically gives Tecopa a
bit more of a secluded atmosphere. Part of the commercial
side of town is situated above Grimshaw Lake, a salt
covered basin and a geologic treasure. The other portion
of the town is residential, along the road out to China
Date Ranch, which is another five miles down the desert
road and into a canyon. The tourists who head to Tecopa
are intent on visiting the mineral hot springs, where
naturally heated waters reach temperatures of over 100
degrees. Another main interest is the China Date Ranch,
where a family run company has been growing date palms
with the aid of an artesian well for over eighty years.
Date shakes and other baked date goodies are the perfect
treat after a trek on one of their numerous trails.
STUDY AND ANALYSIS OF CURRENT
WASTE DEPOSITION PATTERNS
The first step to designing a new waste management program
is to understand the current waste patterns in the communities
of Shoshone + Tecopa. Disposal bins are located around
the community for waste collection. There is no effort
to divert any waste, and recycling is not even offered.
The collected waste is picked up by Pahrump Valley Disposal,
and transported thirty miles to a landfill in Pahrump,
Nevada. In one day, with only the residents considered,
this area creates 750 pounds of waste. The waste hauling
contract with Pahrump Valley Disposal for one year of
service costs almost $100,000. This waste hauling contract
is available for this year, but these services are not
guaranteed for the future.
By reviewing the waste profile of Inyo
County, one can speculate that the waste profile for
Shoshone and Tecopa is similar. The waste stream reflects
the land use of an area, and in Inyo County the towns
are highly residential with some light commercial, institutional,
and municipal. Upon examination of the waste stream
profile, it is notable that 75% of the generated wastes
exported to the landfill are reusable materials. Recyclable
materials account for 50% of the waste stream, while
organic materials account for 39%. These are valuable
resources and nutrients that should continue to circulate
and should avoid contact with landfills completely.
DESIGN SOLUTION: AN ALTERNATIVE
FRAMEWORK, a regenerative waste cycle system
The separation of waste materials is an immediate concern,
as is the development of a site that can be used to
implement systems to divert the top three waste categories
from the waste stream. Organic materials can be composted
in the community, while recyclables can be accumulated
and then later transported to a recycling center in
Pahrump. The remaining waste can be filtered using feeder
pigs to reduce its volume. The final waste products
can be dumped locally in pyrite exposed mine areas.
By implementing this system, trips to Pahrump could
be significantly reduced, and waste will create a marketable
product that will fuel a new local economy.
With the understanding of the current
waste patterns in Shoshone + Tecopa, the patterns can
be altered to develop a system where we reconstitute
waste into resources that can be utilized by the local
community. Materials enter one of three diversion systems
where they are reconstituted into another material,
or are otherwise reduced in volume. Source-separated
waste is key to the successful implementation of the
diversion systems. Based on the waste profile, an alternative
framework breaks the waste stream into four categories:
Green Waste
: leaves+grass+stalks+stumps+vines+weeds+straw+branches+hay+manure+floral
arrangements
Food Waste :
coffee grounds+egg shells+nutshells+fruits+vegetables+pizza
crust+rice+pasta+cake+biscuits
Trash : dairy products+fish+poultry+meat+furniture+shoes+clothing+carpet+ceramics+drink
cartons+food wrappers
Recyclables :
plastic bottles+glass bottles+jars+cans+paper+newspaper+magazines+cardboard+food
packages
There are four steps to the Alternative
Framework waste cycle. First, Inyo County will
provide Shoshone and Tecopa with bins and biodegradable
bags for source separated waste collection. Both at
the residential scale and community scale, the towns
will be responsible for separating waste into four categories,
recyclables, trash,
food waste, and green
waste. Second, the waste is transported
to Desert Diversion, a site strategically placed in
between
Shoshone + Tecopa provides to opportunity to address
waste management issues at the source. Third, the sorted
waste materials are incorporated into one of three different
diversion systems. Food waste and green wastes are utilized
in the decompose system. Non-compostable foods and trash
are utilized in the root system, and recyclables are
utilized in the store system. In the fourth and final
step, resources and remaining wastes are collected and
prepared for distribution back into the community.
The decompose system
reconstitutes green waste and food waste into compost,
a highly beneficial soil amendment, and is available
for use in small scale community agriculture to grow
local food. The food and green waste materials are placed
in elongated piles, or windrows, and then easily maintained
by local staff. Multiple forms of bacteria work together
under specific environmental conditions to transform
waste materials into compost. To sustain microbial activity
to ensure complete decomposition, manual turning of
the pile keeps oxygen circulating and collected pool
water runoff is utilized to maintain proper moisture
levels. Runoff water from the man made mineral pools
can be utilized in the compost process, and the piles
will be aerated by manual turning. Mature compost is
available to local residents and businesses, as well
as and tourists.
According to the Environmental Protection
Agency website, compost has numerous benefits including
the ability to regenerate poor soil; suppress plant
diseases and pests, divert materials from landfills,
(saving fuel costs and landfill space); reduce the need
for water, fertilizers, potting soil, and pesticides;
promotes higher yield of agricultural crops; and facilitate
reforestation, wetland restoration, and habitat revitalization.
The root system allows
the resident pigs to root through trash, and further
reduce the volume of waste. To stay cool, the pigs rest
under shade structures constructed of local materials,
date palm trunks, fitted with misters, which utilize
pool water runoff. Pig manure is collected and contributes
a valuable source of nitrogen to the composting system.
Resulting offspring becomes a local food source, and
remaining trash is dumped in old local abandoned mines,
serving as a cap to exposed pyrite, which when exposed
to the elements, causes acid mine runoff.
Pigs are the best choice for this situation
because pigs are hygienic animals, maintaining separate
areas for eating, sleeping, and defecation; pigs can
adapt to the desert environment with some small considerations;
pigs can eat a wider amount of materials than a compost
pile or worms; pigs will not tear up the landscape as
other animals would; and pigs will serve as a new local
food source.
The store system allows
recyclable materials to be stored on site, and only
travel to the Pahrump Valley Disposal recycling centers
in quarterly shipments, or upon reaching capacity.
The store system is the most economical
and logical choice for the Shoshone + Tecopa communities.
Although recyclable materials make up a significant
portion of the waste stream, it is still reasonable
to export these materials to established recycling centers
in Pahrump. The combined volume of recyclable materials
is 50% of the waste stream, but this is a combination
of five materials, including paper, plastic, metal,
cardboard, and glass. When separated into individual
materials, the volume of each is much smaller. The investment
to introduce a local recycling facility, including the
costs and energy, to accommodate the multiple types
of recyclable material is ineffective at this small
scale, especially with such a relatively small volume
of material.
ECONOMICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND
SOCIAL IMPACTS OF AN ALTERNATIVE FRAMEWORK
Economically, the alternative framework has substantial
impacts for the communities of Shoshone + Tecopa. The
alternative framework introduces the opportunity for
local food production. Generating a majority of the
community’s food supply will promote self sufficiency.
In addition, food production will stimulate a new local
economy based on community agriculture. The Shoshone
+ Tecopa community can grow their own food, which will
reduce their dependence on other markets and imports,
as well as promote self sufficiency and food security.
In this new economy, revenues generated in the community
will remain in the community, instead of stimulating
other communities.
The establishment of a community garden
will strengthen the sense of community within Shoshone
+ Tecopa. The garden becomes an outdoor classroom and
a hands on learning environment for students, where
they can learn about science, agriculture, and nutrition.
Over time, students can watch food mature from seed
to their lunch plate. The garden is a local source of
fresh produce, and will contribute to balanced diets
and improved nutrition within the community. In addition,
the alternative framework increases knowledge of science
and technology of small scale community supported agriculture
provides opportunity for healthy exercise and/or a hobby
improves self sufficiency and increases tourist interest.
The alternative framework has numerous
and far reaching environmental impacts. The program’s
greatest strength is its ability to handle waste on
site, which immediately shifts the Shoshone + Tecopa
community status from 100 % dependent on foreign markets
to substantially self sufficient. In addition, the program
reduces volume of exported waste, conserves limited
resources, reduces cost of waste management programs,
reduces transportation costs involving imports and exports,
preserves the fragile desert ecosystem, reduces dependence
on landfills, extends the life of existing landfills,
and reduces imports of food materials. The program is
a logical, cost effective, and beneficial solution to
the Inyo County Waste Management Budget situation.
LEADING THE WAY FOR THE FUTURE
Small scale yet significant impacts
Small scale designs can be applied to major
global issues. The redesign of waste management
systems through careful consideration of local landscape
factors has the potential to change the way our society
perceives waste, and spark a massive overhaul of waste
management programs in the United States. According
to the EPA in 2006, the U.S. produced more than 251
million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) which is
approximately 4.6 pounds of waste per person per day.
In 1960 this statistic was approximately 2.7 pounds
of waste per person per day. In this forty year time
span, the amount of waste generated by our country has
nearly doubled, and the trend is only going to get worse
with the expected population of the US to reach 419.9
million in 2050. If the 2006 waste rate is applied,
in 2050, the US would generate 2,100,000,000 pounds
of waste.
The Alternative Framework is a small scale
study with significant impacts illustrating how landscape
architecture can analyze systems and data to develop
effective and sustainable solutions for waste management
programs. This program can be easily manipulated to
accommodate a broad range of scales, from the county,
state, or even the national level, and provide urban
areas with strategies to become self sufficient and
a leader in waste management revolution.
Landfills reinforce our society’s
obsession with inefficient, linear systems, as opposed
to regenerative cyclical systems, like the Alternative
Framework. An Alternative
Framework diverts over 80% of the Shoshone + Tecopa
community’s waste stream from the landfill.
Waste material is reconstituted into new materials
the community can utilize, which reduces landfill dependence,
preserves resources and the natural environment, strengthens
the sense of community, and fuels a new local economy.
Waste diversion through recycling, composting, pig feeder
systems, and selected dumping in appropriate areas,
provides the communities of Shoshone + Tecopa the opportunity
to become waste independent and ensure the preservation
of the desert environment.
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