Additional solid waste rules approved

By Lisa Majors-Duff

Three and a quarter of those pieces were put in place last Thursday (March 21) when commissioners approved by-laws for the newly-formed Solid Waste Board, operating procedures for private haulers and rules for staffed recycling centers. A portion of the final piece - Solid Waste Board membership - was also approved.

Solid Waste Board By-laws

Qualifications for board membership are outlined in the by-laws - one appointed by each member of the county commission, one from each incorporated town and one from both Western Carolina University and Southwestern Community College - as well as terms of office and how officers will be selected.

The three members appointed last week were George Stanley from SCC and Terry Riouff from WCU. Commissioner Roberta Crawford requested Glenn Liming serve as her appointment. A fourth, Sylva board member Maurice Moody, was named by that board earlier this month.

The by-laws also say that the county manager will appoint a secretary for each meeting who will be responsible for keeping minutes and other administrative support. The county's solid waste technician will serve as liaison between the board and the solid waste office.

Regular monthly meetings will be held at a place designated by the chairman of the Solid Waste Board. A quorum of at least half the members must be present for official action to be taken.

The by-laws also outline the duties of the Solid Waste Appeals Committee, which will consist of three to five members of the Solid Waste Board and will be charged with hearing appeals to action taken against those alleged to have violated the solid waste ordinance. Serving in a quasi-judicial function, the committee will have 90 days to hear an appeal and 15 days to issue a ruling. Further appeals beyond the committee will be to a court of competent jurisdiction, as stated in the ordinance.

Operating Procedures for Private Haulers

Each private hauler of solid waste will be required to obtain a permit from the Jackson County Solid Waste Office on an annual basis. Fees for these permits, which will be set by the county commissioners, have not yet been determined.

In order to obtain a permit, a hauler must supply the county with vehicle information, including make, model, year, tag number and registration, as well as evidence of liability insurance. Decals must be displayed on all vehicles used for hauling, and vehicles must be identified with the company name and phone number on both sides.

When disposing of waste at a staffed recycling center, a hauler must tell the center attendant the number of bags of both residential and small business trash left in the compactor. Private haulers must keep their customers' pre-separated recyclable materials apart from solid waste and must properly dispose of them in the recycling containers.

Private haulers found in violation of operating procedures could have their permits suspended or terminated.

Operating Procedures for Staffed Recycling Centers

SRC attendants, employees of GDS, the Hendersonville-based company under contract to haul solid waste from SRCs to the Macon County Landfill, have agreed to a set of "duties and responsibilities" as outlined in the last set of operating procedures approved by commissioners last week.

SRC attendants will greet each patron upon arrival and assist anyone who needs help removing waste from a vehicle. Attendants must also ensure that patrons comply with federal, state and local regulations regarding waste disposal. This may be done through educational materials or direct communications.

In addition to operating the SRC equipment, attendants are also charged with maintaining the buildings and grounds at the centers. They must also ensure that recyclables and trash have been placed in the proper containers at the end of each work shift.

Patrons also have a set of procedures to follow at the SRCs. According to the approved set of regulations, no one is allowed to loiter or congregate at an SRC, enter a waste container or scavenge for materials in waste containers. Waste may not be left outside the fenced area.

While the rules say no one is allowed to place non-recyclable materials in a recycling container, the converse was not written into the document. Recycling is not mandatory.

The SRC operating procedures also list 22 specific items that may not be deposited in an SRC trash compactor, including cardboard, aluminum cans, motor oil, antifreeze, tires, white goods, construction and demolition materials, yard waste, ash, automobile parts, lead-acid batteries, household hazardous materials, wet paint and sludge, gas tanks, radioactive waste, asbestos and "hazardous wastes not fitting into one of the other categories." Suggestions for how to properly dispose of most of these items are listed.

Loads taken to a county SRC are subject to random screenings. In the event a prohibited material is found, the hauler would be responsible for its proper disposal. Attendants are charged with taking vehicle license numbers for anyone they believe has violated the operating procedures and report them to the county solid waste office. Assistance for identifying alleged violators will be sought from the Sheriff's Department.

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