Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Opposition Develops to Abolishing Solid Waste Districts

Opposition is developing to Senate Bill 13, the bill prefiled in the Missouri Legislature that would eliminate solid waste management districts and the Solid Waste Management Advisory Committee. Debbie Roach, who is the executive board chair of the Northwest Missouri Solid Waste Management District (Region A) wrote a letter to the City of Grant City urging opposition to the bill and provided information in a handout regarding benefits of the Solid Waste District.

The letter reads, in part, as follows:
On December 1st, 2012, Missouri Senator Kurt Schaefer pre-filed Senate Bill 13, which reads in part, "This act eliminates solid waste management districts and the Solid Waste Advisory Committee." As you know, Missouri's solid waste management districts utilize a percentage of the tipping fees charged at Missouri's landfills to fund vitally important recycling, education, and "green" market development projects. To wit, City of Grant City was awarded $6,650 in 2005 to help fund the City of Grant City Waste Oil Furnace. (Emphasis in original) Senate Bill 13 would eliminate the guarantee of any similar project being funded in northwest Missouri. 

On January 9, 2013, the Region A Full Council voted unanimously to oppose Senate Bill 13 and signed a letter to that effect addressed to Northwest Missouri Senator Brad Lager (enclosed). It is important to note that Senator Lager chairs the Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy, and the Environment committee assigned Senate Bill 13 and will determine its hearing schedule and vote.

As a previous grantee and beneficiary of the Region A Solid Waste Management District, I sincerely hope you will consider opposing Senate Bill 13. We encourage you to contact Senator Lager and Senator Schaefer directly to voice your opinion about the bill. A direct phone call to the Senators' offices is the quickest way to register your opposition, but an e-mail or letter would also be effective. A sample e-mail/letter is enclosed as well as a bullet list regarding the solid waste management districts and Senate Bill 13.

A list of facts and talking points were provided:
--Solid Waste Management Districts are governed by a board of directors that is comprised of local elected officials or their designees. These boards are intimately familiar with the regions that they serve and are the best option to prioritize and fund local recycling and waste reduction projects. SB 13 would remove all local control of these funds.
--Funding for Solid Waste Management Districts is provided from a percentage of tipping fees that are charged to waste haulers utilizing Missouri landfills. Solid Waste Management Districts use no tax dollars to fund their recycling, education, and waste reduction  programs.
--Region A is a "minimally funded district" since there are no functioning landfills; as such, they receive $95,000 annually of which at least 50% must be used for recycling and waste reduction projects.

The handout suggests the alternative of funding the regions more equitably, which it says would increase accountability and improve efficiency.

Among projects that Region A has provided to Worth County and the rest of the region include:
--Household hazardous waste, scrap tire, electronic, and white good special collections;
--Wood chippers, composting bins, and composting workshops;
--Recycling bins and trailers for schools and civil organizations;
--Educational programs for elementary students;
--Commodity bailers, reusable bags, waste oil furnaces, recycling curricula, and other such equipment and materials.

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