Date of Award

9-1994

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Operational Sciences

First Advisor

Yupo Chan, PhD

Abstract

Deciding on locations for municipal solid waste facilities is a difficult problem where qualitative criteria compete with quantitative economic and engineering criteria, in an environment that is highly political and emotional. State guidelines often describe different methodologies but fall short in offering a solution or a methodology in arriving at a solution. This study develops a decision modeling procedure, based on the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), that can be used by public sector decision makers to locate and site municipal solid waste facilities. The applicability of the procedure is demonstrated at the City of Springfield, Clark County, Ohio. Research efforts included review of alternatives to dispose municipal solid waste and multicriteria decision making techniques with potential application to the problem. Due to the nature of the problem, the Analytical Hierarchy Process was selected. A hierarchy was then developed and the Clark County Solid Waste District Coordinator provided inputs that best approximated the decision maker's inputs to arrive at a solution. Final results suggest that current disposal methods of disposing waste should be continued (transfer facility). However, as cost continues to increase relative to the given alternatives, a detailed investigation is required to determine the viability of an incinerator or a landfill, in that order.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GEE-ENS-94S-02

DTIC Accession Number

ADA284785

Comments

The author's Vita page is omitted.

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