Well-being in Hämeenkyrö due to MSWI

Scope
Well-being in Hämeenkyrö due to MSWI describes factors affecting people's living comfort related to waste management alternatives (disposal site or MSWI). This includes noise, smell, social factors, scenic values, discomfort, and concerns.

Description

Areas related to alternative waste management systems in Pirkanmaa. Thus, focus will be on existing dumping place (Tarastejärvi) and planned MSWI plant in Hämeenkyrö. Modelled variables will be estimated using different time scales (day, month, year). Well-being indicators will be monitored continuosly and summarizing reports can be done monthly and annually. People can also be asked what kind of changes in comfortability factors they believe to happen in future when a certain waste management alternative is implemented.

Some of these factors can be measured and some are based on a experience and/or common beliefs and thoughts of inhabitants in Hämeenkyrö, like in other places where the municipal solid waste incinerator have been planned earlier (in Viljakkala).

some ideas of different factors (both a: direct variables and b: indicators)

1 Noise

a) modelled noise maps / control noise measurements in neighborhoods of site based on:

estimated amount of traffic near waste treatment site
noise emissions from operating incinerator
extra noise from birds (near landfill site)

b) noise distubance asked from local people

how often people suffer from noise?
continuous or episodic noise?

From the building phase of the municipal solid waste incinerator
From operation time of the municipal incinerator
From the traffic
Things that should take account:
Comparing the noise from the incinerator to the noise coming from the birds, the traffic and activities in a landfill
The incinerator has planned to build in the existing industrial place.
- What is the present level of the noise in that site?
- What is the distance from the industrial site to the settlement?
The noise disturbs the comfortability of the living

2 Smell/odor

a) maps based on odor dispersion models

b) smell information asked from local people

Probable less disturbing comparing it to the dump site.
Inhabitants, who live near the landfill, think that the smell decreases the living comfortability a lot.

3 Social factors

b) socioeconomic indicators based on statistics at small area (250x250 m) resolution

socioeconomic variables (income, unemployment, education) are used to calculate social index
indicator may be useful information before the decisions, but also for monitoring and forecasting changes in future when plant/landfill site is operating

Increasing a employment grade
Decreasing the value of the property (houses, lands, summer cottages)
Fear of the birds (the influenza)

4 Scenic values

a) visibility maps calculated using GIS (digital elevation model, forest data and other geograpical data)

b) scenic values asked from local people (questionary)

A minor effect

5 Discomfort index

b) index based on several questions from local people about comfortability of area (questionary)

6 Concern index (Health effects)

b) index based on several questions from local people about concerns their have about the possible health effects (questionary)

Diseases coming via the rats or birds? (This is a wild assumption)
Hazardous components leaching to the ground water and/or surface water will decrease.(The incinerator processes are controlled and monitored)
The inhabitants can pick berries and mushrooms with good feelings, without the fear of the hazardous components coming from the wastesite (like from the landfill).

Input data needed: waste collection data, emission data from plant, bird invetory and voice emission data, Indicator data from systematic post questionaries and continuous feedback forms from web-site, data from waste management processes in landfill site, questionaries & online feedback forms on the web

References

YVA-reports and public opinion writings from the internet:

Definition

Variable:Options with the Hämeenkyrö municipal solid waste incinerator

Unit

dB, indices

Result