As Cape Cod runs out of space to dump thousands of tons of trash, planners have a faraway look in their eyes. Shipping that trash out of state by rail may be one solution, according to a study developed for Barnstable County and the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension. Having the trash hit the road could also decrease greenhouse gas emissions, according to the document drawn up by Geosyntec Consultants.
Cape Cod and the Islands are dealing with shrinking in-state dumping spots, a volatile recyclables market and an increase in transportation costs, according to a presentation made to the Barnstable County Commissioners. Those factors are causing a rise in prices for towns and residents, said Patty Daley, legal and policy specialist at the Cape Cod Commission. To offset those problems, the study identified potential long-term solutions.
Waste-by-rail would mean that the Cape would haul its municipal solid waste by rail car to states with sufficient landfill capacity, such as Ohio or Virginia. The Cape could do that by bolstering current rail infrastructure at the Upper Cape Regional Transfer Station and the Yarmouth Transfer Station. Waste-by-rail would decrease greenhouse gas emissions by about 2,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide yearly, compared to current methods of trucking waste to a regional incinerator or local landfills.