'Take action,' solid waste board tells commissioners

By Rose Hooper

Specifically, the advisory board would like the commissioners to adopt a solid waste ordinance. "We feel this action to be of great importance, not only because of the many hours of hard work by this board, but because the county needs this direction to build a cohesive, comprehensive program for sustainable solid waste reduction, and recycling increases," a resolution, passed unanimously by the board earlier this month, reads.

"We submitted a proposed ordinance to the commissioners a year ago and have had working sessions with them, going over it section by section," said Avram Friedman, advisory board chairman.

The proposed ordinance outlines a system of rules, regulations and penalties that govern the collection, transportation and handling of the county's recycling and waste disposal program. Basically, the advisory board and the commissioners agree in concept, Friedman said. For instance, in dealing with the construction and demolition landfill, the advisory board would like to see mandatory source separation of C&D waste.

The reason for the source separation is to make recycling easier, Friedman said. Materials such as masonry, wood products, sheet rock and glass would be recovered for reuse, remanufacturing, or, as in the case of yard waste, put through a grinder and composted.

Commission Chair Jay Denton said he would prefer some economic incentive for waste haulers to do this. Denton's proposal was considered a viable and acceptable alternative by most members.

Attached as an addendum to the proposed ordinance is a recommendation that the county institute, by the year 2003, a policy such as a "Pay as You Throw" program to offer an economic incentive to county residents to recycle more and reduce the county's waste stream. The addendum calls for the county to develop such a program with the input of its citizens to determine how the program could be most successfully implemented.

"The advisory board feels that it is important to take this step in order to extend the life of the Macon County landfill as long as possible," Friedman said. "This will delay the enormous costs associated with closing down the Macon County landfill and locating, permitting and constructing a new landfill in Jackson County as mandated by the Jackson-Macon agreement."

The advisory board passed a resolution asking commissioners to act because "it is difficult to implement a meaningful recycling and waste reduction effort without a county ordinance," members agreed.

Appointed by the commissioners, the task force serves in an advisory capacity.

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