D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10-A, § 1310
1310.1 An efficient solid waste transfer station system is essential to the District. There are currently four solid waste transfer facilities, two of which are privately owned and two of which are District-operated. The DPW-operated transfer stations are the Fort Totten Facility, located at 4900 John McCormack Drive NE, and the Benning Road Facility located at 3200 Benning Road NE. At each transfer station, waste is consolidated, sorted, and loaded onto long-haul trailers for transfer to landfills, energy facilities, recycling facilities, or compost facilities across the region. Of the municipal solid waste managed by District-owned transfer stations, approximately 60 percent is processed at the Fort Totten Transfer Station and the remaining 40 percent at the Benning Road Transfer Station. All municipal solid waste in Washington, DC is removed by truck because there are no active incinerators or landfills within Washington, DC.
1310.2 Washington, DC does not currently operate a construction and demolition (C&D) debris transfer station, but it does permit disposal of a limited amount of C&D at the Fort Totten processing station. Large-scale commercial building debris disposal is handled privately. The majority of C&D is currently processed by several transfer stations in the surrounding areas of southern Maryland and northern Virginia.
1310.3 Policy IN-3.1.1: Solid Waste Collection
Provide safe, reliable, adequate solid waste collection from residences, business establishments, institutions, and other facilities.
1310.4 Policy IN-3.1.2: Reducing Community Impacts
Reduce the adverse effects of solid waste facilities, including noise, odors, and truck traffic, on District neighborhoods.
1310.5 Policy IN-3.1.3: Zero Waste
Work to achieve zero waste in the District by 2032 by diverting 80 percent or more of waste generated in Washington, DC. This diversion can be achieved through reuse, composting, and recycling. Encourage DPW implementation of a curbside food waste pickup diversion and composting program.
1310.6 Policy IN-3.1.4: Enhancing DPW Operations
Explore approaches for enhancing DPW operations to achieve outcomes such as cleaner, healthier, and more efficient DPW services and through innovative design solutions and related partnerships. Some of these approaches are contained in the West Virginia Avenue Public Works (DPW) 2016 Campus Master Plan.
1310.6a Text Box: What Is a Solid Waste Transfer Facility?
A solid waste transfer facility is a light industrial facility where trash collection
trucks discharge their loads for transfer from small collection vehicles to larger, long-haul vehicles. Solid waste is reloaded onto these vehicles (e.g., trucks, trains, and barges) for shipment to a final disposal site. Transfer facilities are typically fully enclosed. Workers screen incoming waste on the receiving floor or in an earthen pit, recovering materials from the waste stream that can be recycled and separating out any inappropriate wastes (e.g., tires, large appliances, automobile batteries). Transfer facility operators usually unload, reload, and transport waste off the site in a matter of hours.
Evaluate the need for expansion of District-owned transfer stations to provide adequate space for proper handling of all types of separated waste, including refuse, recycling, organic waste, bulk waste, and hard-to-recycle items.
Encourage the private sector to provide more efficient, cleaner, and more environmentally friendly waste processing facilities for all types of solid waste. Collaborate across agencies, including, DPW, Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, and DOEE to address this need. Work with Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) and community organizations in drafting these regulations to ensure that neighborhood concerns are addressed.
Develop a holistic plan that includes all waste streams and related strategies to enable Washington, DC to reach its goal of 80 percent waste diversion. Strategies should include transfer station modernization needs, optimization of residential drop-off locations, and consideration of waste streams that include refuse, compostable materials, and recyclable materials, as well as hard-to-recycle items.
See the Environmental Protection Element for additional policies and actions on waste management, recycling, and composting.
SOURCE: District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; 31 DCR 1049 (March 9, 1984)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Element Amendment Act of 1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-187; 32 DCR 873 (February 15, 1985)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-129; 37 DCR 55 (January 5, 1990)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989 NCPC-Recommended Amendments, and Closing of Public Alleys in Square 669, S.O. 88-452, Act of 1990, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-132; 37 DCR 2213 (April 6, 1990)); as amended by District Government Land Use Temporary Amendment Act of 1994, effective October 1, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-190; 41 DCR 5360 (August 12, 1994)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1994, effective October 6, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-193; 41 DCR 5536 (August 19, 1994)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Amendment Act of 1994, effective March 21, 1995 (D.C. Law 10-235; 42 DCR 30 (January 6, 1995)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1996, effective April 18, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-110; 43 DCR 530 (February 9, 1996)); as amended by Second Technical Amendments Act of 1996, effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-255; 44 DCR 1271 (March 7, 1997)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 1998, effective April 27, 1999
(D.C. Law 12-275; 46 DCR 1441 (February 19, 1999)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1999, effective April 12, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-91; 47 DCR 520 (January 28, 2000)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300; 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-353; 56 DCR 1117 (February 6, 2009)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361; 58 DCR 908 (February 4, 2011)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21, 2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)).