WASTE STREAM JOURNAL A Waste Reduction Newsletter of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs * * * VOL. IV NO. II SPRING 2000 **** IT'S ONUS Georgia shines after Great American Cleanup Spring cleaning on massive scale aided by businesses, volunteers What lasts just two months and can make your community a healthier and happier place to live? Keep America Beautiful's annual event, the Great American Cleanup! The Great American Cleanup stretches from midMarch to mid-May. This year, Keep Georgia Beautiful enlisted Georgia Power, The Home Depot USA Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, The Kroger Co. and the Department of Community Affairs as state sponsors. National sponsors were GLAD, MTD Products, Sherwin Williams, Wrigley; Pepsi and Fort James Corporation. Sponsors provided garbage bags, gloves, posters and other materials to make local programs a success. The Home Depot USA Inc. provided several local KAB affiliates with in-store credit to purchase landscaping equipment, plants, paint, gloves, and other supplies. These generous donations were key to making this year a success. As Shannon Navarre-Gromadzka, Executive Director of Keep Barrow Beautiful said, "With the resources offered us, I was.able to boost this year's program as never before!" Georgia's Solid Waste Trust Fund also helped support the Talkin' Trash Increased Fuel Costs affecting the Solid Waste Industry No sector of the U.S. economy has been immune from rising fuel prices. The transport industry has been hit particularly hard. Solid waste transporters in the public and private sectors are coping with the increased prices, though they may be coping with it in different ways. * * * The Public Sector Operating on a fixed annual budget, many municipalities and counties in Georgia have less flexibility and are forced to accommodate the increased fuel costs without raising their general fund revenue or user fees. When fuel prices increase, local governments must either cut costs elsewhere or hope to reallocate money from budget surpluses that may exist at the end of the year or from other sources. Fortunately, for many counties and cities fuel is bought on a bid for an entire fiscal year, lending to a more stable fuel price. So while we're seeing price increases of$.35 per gallon or more, Sanitation Director Charles Hammonds of Decatur reports a $.20 per gallon increase over the same period. If these fuel costs persist, however, it may be necessary to increase hauling fees, which would require commission approval, according to Jim Corley, Solid Waste Coordinator in Athens-Clarke County. *** See Punuc on page 8: IJJlf' * * * The Private Sector Solely reliant on user fees, the private sector has the tendency to pass on any fluctuations in its operating costs, including fuel prices, to its customers. This is often rec fleeted in the form of a surcharge. According to a recent press release by Waste Management Inc., the price of low sulfur No. 2 diesel has increased 66.2 percent from the 1999 average and this increase will be reflected by a surcharge that will be adjusted monthly. The surcharge will be eliminated iffuel prices stabilize at or below the 1999 average. Bud Rogers of North Georgia Disposal, operating in the Dalton area, said his company is adding a surcharge that is reflected at the bottom of customer invoices. But he's quick to add he plans to lower his hauling fee when diesel prices decrease. *** Consolidations hitting paper industry The wave of corporate mergers sweeping the business world has hit the paper See PRIVATE on page 8:. IJJlf' In This Issue Tame Your Mailbox, page 2. Keep Georgia Beautiful Luncheon, pages 4 &5. GEFA Grant Recipients, page 7. Solid Waste Management Workshops, page 8. DCA ranking puts Gwinnett, Glynn counties at top of Solid Waste Management efforts Top counties joined by Duluth, Peachtree City, Roswell and Snellville Two Georgia counties topped a DCA ranking of local government efforts to reduce solid waste. Coastal Glynn County and metro Atlanta's Gwinnett County each earned 13 out of a maximum 15 points on DCA's Community Indicators for solid waste management in 1999. The score means Glynn and Gwinnett are "making extra efforts t.o manage solid waste wisely," according to the ranking's scoring charts. Gwinnett also grabbed two of the four top-scoring cities. Duluth and Snellville each earned 13 points, along with Peachtree City and Roswell. "Obviously it's an important issue to Gwinnett County," said Jock Connell, deputy county administrator. "That's evidenced by the fact that we contracted with Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful to head up these efforts. We've got a highly structured program for this." It's a highly structured program 18 years in the making. Connie Wiggins, executive director of Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, oversees a 13-member staff that includes two Gwinnett Police officers to aid THE WASTE STREAM JOURNALSPRING2000 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Taming the mailbox: A guide to reducing junk mail Annoyed by the junk mail over-flowing from your mailbox? Here's what you can do to stop it from bothering you and wasting valuable resources. Act now because junk mail is expected to increase for years to come. Form letters are available at www.1800cleanup.org. 1) Write or call the following companies: Company Mail Preference Service Direct Marketing Association A good place to start if you have too much junk mail to deal with individually. Address P.O. Box 9008 Farmingdale, NY 11735 TRW-NCAC Target Marketing Services Division Controls Equifax, lnnovis, Transunion and Experian lists ADVO-Systems One of the nation's largest mailers of advertising mail. National Demographics and Lifestyles List Order Service and R.L. Polk & Company Haines and Company, Inc. Criss-Cross Directory Donnelly Marketing Database Operations 701 TRW Parkway Allen, TX 75002 1-800-353-0809 (automated "opt-out" request line) Director of List Maintenance 239 West Service Rd. Hartford, CT 061201280 1621 18m Street #300 Denver, CO 80202 1-800-525-3533 2382 East Walnut Avenue Fullerton, CA 92631 . 4"t6.Soutb.B_eJL. Ames, IA 50010 What to Do a Write postcard or letter asking them to "activate the preference service," giving your name (all variations) and full address. This also takes care of bulk mail for "current resident." Call and use the automated service to remove your name from their marketing file. Write a letter and ask to have your name removed from their list. Call and request to have your name removed from their mailing list. Write a letter and request to have your name removed from their reverse phone book publication. Y\IJ"ite a letter and request your name to be suppressed in their files. Include name, street address, city, state, zip. 2) Give it back to them! You have the right to refuse any mail, except third class and bulk rate mail that is not marked. Check the postage rate. If it is first class or firstclass sorted, write "refuse, return to sender" on it and send it back. If the item was sent by first class mail or presorted first class mail, cross out your address and bar code, circle the first class postage stamp and write "refused: return to sender." Drop it in any mailbox. Most organizations quickly eliminate a "refused" address from their mailing lists. If "address correction requested" is printed on mail, circle it and treat it like first class mail. 3) Return solicitations that include a postage paid reply envelope; include a note requesting that you be removed from the mailing list. Cut out the address label with your address and enclose it with your reply. 4) Call the toll-free number of companies sending you unwanted mail, and request that your name and . address be removed from their database. The TRW-NCAC "1-800" number is a good place to start. 5) Call 1-800-353-0809 to remove yourself from the major credit reporting companies that distribute mailing list information. 6) "Do not sell, rent or trade my name or address" is what you should tell a business when giving your name and address to them. 7) Be careful about releasing your name, address and telephone number. Don't fill out 2 warranty cards (you are covered regardl~ss; these are means of gathering names for direct mailing lists). Leave your telephone number off your personal checks. Consider having an unlisted telephone number (some mailing lists are created from telephone directories). Don't give your telephone number at the cash register (more than likely that store will add you to their mailing list). Expect to wait four to six weeks before seeing results. For more information on reducing your junk mail or to receive a complete list of companies you can contact to do so, please call Michael Hintze at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office ofEnvironmental Management(404)6794853.0r visit the Earth's 911 web page at www.1800cleanup.org. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS Ranking continued from page 1 Survey and Full Cost Report, Many of the extra effort an anriual survey sent to all points involve recycling. enforcement. Where some local governments by DCA. "The reason recycling works counties might send a code Information kept by DCA in in Gwinnett County is we've enforcement officer, Gwinnett its role of establishing and been able to pool public and sends a cop. upholding Minimum Planning private resources," Wiggins Gwinnett Clean and Standards and Procedures for said. That didn't happen Beautiful coordinates re- Solid Waste overnight. cycling programs for hundreds Management Because the of county employees, and the was also general public. The Keep used. Georgia America Beautiful affiliate law requires "If I were to go home tonight organization has been operating also oversees solid waste the survey to planning, including co- be submitted and throw a locally for 18 years, can in the trash, ordinating solid waste and by September recyclable collection by the 29. it has been able to foster private sector. "We sort of A jurisserve as the de facto solid diction I'd be called g0 0 d relation- waste department for the scoring 3-5 county," Wiggins s:;iid. points is to task on ships on the open As the only non-metro making a Atlanta community at the top minimal that by my market, proving to of the list, Glynn County feels effort to like its hard work is finally manage solid being recognized. waste. children... " Jock Connell secondary markets Gwinnett "I'm thrilled for the whole Scoring can provide county," said Marsha Smith, between 6 the neces- head of Glynn County's Keep and 8 points earns a sary volume of recycled goods Brunswick-Golden Isles jurisdiction an adequate rating, as well as keep operating costs Beautiful. "We've been and 9-15 points means a down. working real hard down here. community is making extra Those sorts of partnerships We've tripled our volunteer efforts to manage solid waste are key to any KAB affiliate's base." wisely. A jurisdiction scoring success, Wiggins said. She The score indicates a local a 0 is not complying with state cautioned communities to government's level of laworoffering solid waste carefully research any new involvement in solid waste management services to its initiatives and examine all the management as of the end of community. Governments alternatives. Wiggins empha- Fiscal Year 1998 (June 30, that received an "NA" did not sized the importance of 1998). Jurisdictions were respond to the Solid Waste long~term planning and scored using data from the Management Survey and Full getting accurate facts. m Solid Waste Management Cost Report. "We're not about doing one- Recycling Awards applications available shot little projects," Wiggins said. Smith was excited to receive the news, saying she was proud to be making an effort that could be compared with Gwinnett's. "It's indicative of a community that's been waiting for an opportunity to pull together," Smith said. Gwinnett's Connell added the recognition from DCA's ranking is mirrored on less formal levels. "If I were to go home tonight and throw a can in the trash, I'd be called to task on that by my children, because of the awareness level that's been raised for everyone," Connell said. To see how your community fared, check DCA's Web site at www.dca.state.ga.us, and click on community indicators, then .individual community profiles. Enter your county or city, and scroll down to Environmental for your 1999 Solid Waste Management scoring. If you would like information on steps you can take to improve solid waste management in your jurisdiction, please call Patrick Vickers at DCA's Office of Environmental Management at 404-679-3151. The Georgia Recycling Coalition is accepting applications for the 1999-2000 Excellence in School Recycling Awards Program. In its third year, the partnership with the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation offers Georgia elementary, middle and high schools a shot at ten $1,000 awards. Schools that start or expand a recycling program are eligible, and awards will also recognize exemplary ongoing school recycling programs. Judging strongly emphasizes student leadership and the instructional emphasis of the program in teaching students the value of recycling. Last year's recipients received their awards in a special November 1999 ceremony at the state Capitol with Governor Roy Barnes attending to congratulate the winners. Applications for this year's program were mailed in April 2000 to over 1800 Georgia schools. Entries must be postmarked on or before September 18, 2000. If you need an application or further details, please contact GRC at (404) 634-3095 or email garecycles@mindspring.com. 3 THE WASTE STREAM JOURNALSPRING2000 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _--.,..--_ _ __ Keep Georgia Beautiful Luncheon honors public and private sector efforts More than 60 individuals and organizations received awards at the 22"a Keep Georgia Beautiful Awards Luncheon this spring. Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor praised Keep America Beautiful's campaign to make the country better looking, during his remarks as special guest speaker at the March 9 event, held at the Georgia World Congress Center. "Keep Georgia Beautiful is known in the state and throughout the national Keep America Beautiful system for training and equipping community leaders," Taylor told his audience of more than 600. Many of these leaders were recognized at the annual event. The Keep Georgia Beautiful State Awards Program honors individuals, organizations, and companies whose ongoing efforts prevent litter, improve community waste handling practices through recycling and waste reduction and preserve Georgia'.s natural beauty. Next year's awards luncheon is slated for April 19. "Keep Georgia Beautiful is proud of the accomplishments of this year's award recipients," said Jim Higdon, commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. "We are working to protect and preserve Georgia's environmental future by making a difference in their communities." Jocelyn Dorsey, director of WSB-TV Channel 2 Editorials/Public Affairs, served as master of ceremonies for the luncheon. This year's first place winners are: Litter Prevention Awards recognize educational and remedial efforts designed to change attitudes and behaviors, resulting in a positive impact in a community. Government Agency Dalton Utilities Non-Profit Organization Keep Bainbridge-Decatur County Beautiful School Science Club, South Cobb High School, Austell Beautification Awards recognize efforts to preserve and improve the beauty of a community. Government Agency Macon-Bibb County Parks and Recreation Department Community Organization Porterdale's "Let's Sweep It Clean," Keep Covington/Newton Beautiful School Rock Creek Reclamation Project, Marietta Middle School Annex Keep Georgia Beautiful System Awards recognize outstanding Keep America Beautiful affiliates who are working to prevent litter and enhance the natural beauty and minimize the impact of waste on their community. Population up to 15,000 Keep Roberta/Crawford Beautiful Population 15,001 - 30, 000 Keep Madison County Beautiful Commission Population 30,001 - 50,000 Keep Smyrna Beautiful Population 50,001 - 75,000 Keep Covington/Newton Beautiful Population 75,001 -150,000 Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful Population 150,001 - 500,00 Keep Columbus Beautiful Commission Population 500,001 and over Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, Inc. Waste Minimization Awards recognize the efforts of organizations that provide environmental education or other conservation messages to change attitudes and promote responsible solid waste handling. Small Business SKF USA Inc., Flowery Branch Large Business Beers Construction Company, Atlanta Government Agency The City of Smyrna Non-Profit Organization Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, Inc., Lawrenceville School Environmental Club, Vickery Creek Middle School, Cumming 4 Student ofthe Year, Jennifer White, ofPearson, with Lt. Governor Mark Taylor pictured at the 22nd Annual Keep Georgia Beautiful Awards Luncheon. The Environmental Club from Vickery Creek Middle School of Cumming won the 2000 Waste Minimization Award at the 22nd Keep Georgia Beautiful Awards Luncheon. Individual Awards honor ongoing efforts to prevent litter, improve community waste handling practices through recycling and waste minimization, and preserve the natural beauty and environment of Georgia. Executive Director of the Year "The Barbara Mason Award" Joanne Hamlin, Roberta Student of the Year ($1000 Scholarship) Jennifer White, Pearson Public Works Employee of the Year Mack Belue, Dalton Woman ofthe Year "The Carolyn Crayton Award" Libby Moore, Toccoa Man ofthe Year "The Steve Reynolds Award" Dave Sheffield, Covington The following agencies and organizations received second place and distinguished service and certificate of merit awards: Azalea City Woman's Club, Valdosta Central High School 1999-2000 JV Cheerleaders, Macon Clay County Concerned Citizens, Georgetown Cusseta Road School Community Pride Campaign, Columbus Dalton Utilities Hall County Resource Recovery/Keep Hall Beautiful, Gainesville Johnstonville Garden Club, Barnesville Keep Atlanta Beautiful Keep Cobb Beautiful, Inc. Keep Conyers-Rockdale Beautiful Keep Dublin-Laurens Beautiful, Inc. Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission Keep Rome/Floyd Beautiful Keep Sandy Springs-North Fulton Beautiful Laporte Water Technologies, Inc., Alpharetta R. L. Norton Outdoor Habitat, Snellville Synthetic Industries' S.I.E.R.R.A. Program, Chickamauga United States Postal Service -Atlanta District USASC & Fort Gordon Environmental Office Congratulations to Affiliates Several local Keep America Beautiful affiliates have or will shortly be certified by the national litter-prevention group. A national KAB representative will present Keep Effingham Beautiful with its certificate July 13. Next in line are Keep Bartow Beautiful and Gainesville's Keep Our Mountains Beau- tiful, though certification dates have not been set. Keep Bulloch County Beautiful is excited about starting its certification process; when they become certified they'll be Georgia's 61 '1 KAB community. Congratulations to Metro Augusta Clean and Beautiful Inc, which has added a fourth county to its program. Metro Augusta Clean and Beautiful now includes Richmond, Columbia, Lincoln, and Jefferson counties. Publications Available For a free copy of the P2AD Guide to Implementing a Waste Cost Management System, contact Jancie Hatcher at (404) 651-5120, (800) 685-2443, or p2ad@ix.netcom.com. Still available are copies of the guidebook Automotive Repair and the Environment, and copies of the poster You Can Prevent Pollution from Gas Stations and Auto Maintenance. 5 THE WASTE STREAM JOURNALSPRING2000 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Cleanup continued from page 1 effort. Dollars paid into the fund for tire disposal helped offset the cost to distribute donated materials to local KAB affiliates. Georgia's local KAB affiliates mobilized 35,000 volunteers to participate in this year's event. Those volunteers donned r3:ingear to fight uncooperative weather. They also armed themselves with paintbrushes, garbage bags, shovels, gloves, nets...whatever it took to get the job done. They revived parks, cleaned rivers, painted over graffiti, and picked up litter. Affiliates were joined across the state by other local organizations including county/city governments and civic organizations. The effort stretched across 98 of Georgia's 159 counties. The results of the cleanup are staggering. Across the state, volunteers donated 228,328 hours to improve their local communities. They helped eliminate 124 illegal dumps and removed almost 3 million pounds of garbage from roadways, parks, and neighborhoods. Many communities went even further and recycled a significant portion of the materials they collected. Lynn Cobb, manager of Keep Georgia Beautiful at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, said communities choosing to par~ ticipate realize the importance of keeping their communities clean. "Communities free of litter, graffiti or other eyesores are more conducive to economic development and lower crime rates," Cobb said. Local organizers agree: "This was a great wake-up call for our community," said Carla Goodwin, director of Liberty Clean and Beautiful in Liberty Co. "It really brought a lot of attention to the illegal dumps and trash on our roadsides." While picking up litter was a central focus of the Cleanup, several communities took the opportunity to improve their surroundings in other ways.Many places revitalized parks and planted gardens. Others focused on eliminating the need for a cleanup day by educating citizens about the negative impacts of litter and graffiti. These efforts included hosting and participating in environmental fairs, quiz bowls for students and classroom visits. "Participation in this annual event raises the awareness of the effects of litter and illegal dumping in local communities," said DCA Commissioner Jim Higdon. "Each year, participation in the Great American Cleanup gets better with more support from our corporate sponsors and individual citizens. Keep Georgia Beautiful is proud of the efforts of the individuals, groups and sponsors that work to improve their local community." Planning for next year's Cleanup effort has already begun. Volunteers transformed the campus at Decatur's Oakhurst Elementary School in April as part ofthe Great American Cleanup. Coke scholars help with cleanup The Coca-Cola Company Coca-Cola Company. The took some of the best and Coca-Cola Scholars Foun- brightest students from dation has awarded nearly across the country, brought $16 million to more than them to corporate headquar- 1,500 scholars between ters in Atlanta, and put them 1989 and 1999. to work. From noon till For the afternoon of April knock-off April 29, 252 stu- 29, the scholars worked. dent volunteers transformed Scholarship contestants the campus at Decatur's joined Coca-Cola employ- Oakhurst Elementary School ees to refurbish two as part of basketball the Great courts, sand American Cleanup. "These are kids that and stain equipment on The students were are leaders in their two playgrounds, in Atlanta for four own communities, " paint a portable class" days of in- said Scott Vitters, room and terviews to landscape identify 50 manager of corporate much of the finalists campus. In its slated to re- environmental a.ffairs second cei ve $20,000 for The Coca-Cola year, the voluntary scholarships. The Company. community work element rest will of the stu- each receive a $4,000 dent's stay in Atlanta was scholarship. a smash hit with students. All "These are kids that are 252 took part, making short leaders in their own commu- work of the day's chores. "For nities," said Scott Vitters, last year, it was ranked as their manager of corporate envi- number one activity inAtlanta," ronmental affairs for The Vitters said. 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS $800,000 in GEFA money awarded to local governments From Athens-Clarke County to Wilkinson County, the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) awarded $800,000 in grants to 32 counties and cities. The commumties that were awarded Recycling and Waste Reduction Grant program dollars applied for a total of $1,321,852. GEFA, which administers the grant program, was able to award $800,000 from the Solid Waste Trust Fund to these applicants. Seventy-one applications were sent to GEFA, requesting a total of $3,344,810. 'Funds awarded this year will help buy baling and loading equipment for recycling centers, buy bin trailers for schools, spruce up ex1stmg recycling centers and phase out the use of green boxes. Central Georgia's Emanuel County will get all of the $50,000 it asked for, the maximum GEFA disbursed to a single recipient, to help establish a recycling and waste reduction program that will enable the rural county to move away from unsupervised dumping at green boxes. According to its plan, 282 green boxes at 143 sites throughout the county will be eliminated and replaced by 15 staffed collection centers, which will accept materials for recycling as well as for disposal. "We're excited about it, and the concept just makes a whole lot of sense," said Emanuel County Administrator Ezra Price, adding the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha Regional Development Center helped the county secure the funds. The grant money, about 10 percent of the project's total project cost, will pay for rolloff containers at staffed collection sites. Buying the land for those sites will be the first phase of a 3-year project using Special Local Option Sales Tax dollars. Emanuel County is the state's seventh largest county, and Price said that there are 313 green boxes sprinkled across the county's 694 square miles. "You can imagine the problems that causes for Emanuel County and its (20,546) citizens," Price said. The Solid Waste Trust Fund is financed through the $1 fee charged for each new tire purchased in the state. The money in the trust fund is mainly used to remove scrap tire piles and to encourage tire recycling through education and research. However, some of the funds are used for projects contributing to overall waste reduction, like GEFA's grant program. COMMUNITY Athens-Clarke Co. Baldwin County Bartow County City of Camilla City of Centerville Chattooga County Cherokee County City of Claxton Decatur County Dooly County City of Douglas City of Dudley City of East Dublin City of Eatonton City of Elberton Emanuel County Floyd County City of Hazlehurst City of Helena City of Jesup Johnson County Jones County Lincoln County Montgomery County Morgan County Pike County Putnam County City of Roberta Sumter County City of Thomson Walton County Wilkinson County Total AWARD $2,500 $25,000 $40,000 $42,620 $25,000 $30,000 $30,000 $10,000 $45,000 $34,981 $13,139 $20,000 $20,000 $18,816 $50,000 $50,000 $33,000 $25,000 $13,125 $25,000 $20,000 $25,000 $35,100 $16,300 $25,000 $20,000 $20,000 $15,000 $30,000 $19,019 $1,400 $20,000 $800,000 PROJECT DESCRIPTION To refurbish a backyard composting demonstration site. Purchase camera equipment fo reduce labor costs. Purchase multi-compartment recycling containers for school recycling program. Purchase a horizontal baler and paper shredder. Construct a recycling convenience center. Purchase bin trailers for schools. Replace aging & overworked equipment & expand drop off capabilities. Purchase a vertical baler. Construct drop-off recycling center, purchase storage sheds for school recycling. Purchase a horizontal baler and skid steer loader. Mesh netj:ing for composting/mulching site as odor control. Further recycling efforts by purchasing a leaf vacuum. Purchase a knuckleboom loader to pick up limbs, trees & aooliances. Purchase additional equipment & containers. Renovate space at the city's existing center. Establish a recycling/waste reduction program - recycling collection containers. Develop a master plan for recycling. Purchase & install horizontal baler. Purchase three recycling trailers. Enhance recycling center by constructing concrete pad. Expand recycling program by constructing drop off center. Construct a recycling convenience center. Construction of a recycling center & purchase related equipment Construction of a recyclable materials "Unloading Station:" Construct two new recycling centers equipped with roll-on, roll-off containers. Improvements to the existing recycling center. Construct a convenience/recycling center for solid waste & recyclable materials. Oil recycling center & finish recycling center. Construct phase II of environmental learning center. Purchase a forklift for recycling center. Construct used oil collection centers. Eliminate dumpsters, construct two convenience centers for recyclable materials. 7 THE WASTE STREAM JOURNALSPRING2000 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Workshops will explain changes to mandatory surveys Solid Waste Management Survey, Full Cost Reports subject of classes State law requires all Georgia cities and counties to submit an annual Solid Waste Management Survey and Full Cost Report to the Department of Community Affairs by September 29. To help local governments complete this report, DCA will conduct 12 workshops across the state during August. "The main difference this year is the full cost report has been changed to make it consistent with the Uniform Chart of Accounts," said Patrick Vickers, senior information specialist with DCA. The changes make the process a bit trickier, "and that's one reason we're doing so many workshops," Vickers said. The workshops are intended for individuals responsible for or involved with completing the survey and report. This could include elected officials, department heads and staff. A complimentary breakfast will be served before each workshop, which is divided into four sessions: 1) The Survey Overview provides a detailed summary of the survey and full cost report, an explanation of Solid Waste Public Notice and gives attendees the chance to ask specific questions about their jurisdiction's surveys. 2) The Full Cost Accounting (FCA) Overview includes background on full cost accounting and explains techniques and procedures for collecting and reporting different types of financial data for solid waste management. 3) The Uniform Chart of Accounts Overview gives attendees the current status of the. implementation of the Uniform Chart ofAccounts and its effects on Solid Waste Management and full cost reporting. 4) The Group Exercise lets attendees practice what they've learned. All meetings are from 8:30 a.m. until noon. Besides the free breakfast, information and assistance, attendees will receive three credit hours in the Georgia City/County Clerk's Certification Program or the Georgia Landfill Operator's Certification Program. To register, use DCA's online registration form. Go to www.dca.state.ga.us, click on News, then scroll down to and click on '2000 Solid Waste Management and Full Cost Accounting Workshops.' From there, scroll down to 'online registration form.' Date Aug. 1 Aug. 2 Aug.3 Aug.8 Aug.9 Aug. 10 Aug. 15 Aug.16 Aug. 17 Aug.22 Aug.23 Aug.24 Location Colquitt Tifton Waycross Macon Vidalia Hinesville Elberton Gainesville Dalton Bremen Wrens Manchester All meeting times are from 8:30 a.m. until noon. For more information, call Patrick Vickers at 404-679-3151, or write to pvickers@dca.state.ga.us. Public - TALKIN' TRASH from page 1 Banks gets new Recycling Center Banks County celebrated the grand opening of its new recycling center June 3. Keep Banks Beautiful Director Leslie George said the venture is an example of successful public/private partnership. The building and land were donated and built to Keep Banks Beautiful specifications by Waste Management. The center is staffed by Banks County, and the entire operation is run by the North Georgia Resource Management Authority, a four-county authority formed in 1994. The baler was purchased with a LDF grant awarded by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA). Wal-Mart awarded a grant to buy holding bins and a hand truck. "This is a very big. deal for our little county," George said. "Our facility has a unique design which allows citizens to drop off their recyclables and stay dry even in pouring rain while at the same time keeping access to materials only available to the operator.'' Private r&TALKIN' TRASH from page 1 manufacturing industry, with one of the latest being last fall's switch of Southeast Paper Mfg. Co. to SP NEWSPRINT CO. Southeast Paper Mfg. Co. operated a 100% recycled content newsprint mill in Dublin, GA., which began operating in 1979. With the name change, the company also .renamed its recycling subsidiary SP RECYCLING CORP. The reason for the change was the purchase of a Portland, OR (Newberg, OR) newsprint mill (app. 50% recycled content) from Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., said George Elder, vice president. "We decided the regional name would not work; however, we liked the logo (SP)," Elder said. "The bottom line is, it's consolidation to cut overhead costs, to try to compete with foreign companies." SP operates in two regions; the South~ east and Pacific. SP Newsprint Co. is a wholly owned subsidiary of three media companies: Cox Enterprises, Knight Ridder and Media General. Most Georgians are familiar with the red and green paper collection boxes at non-profits across the state. SP operates recycling centers in Atlanta, Dublin, Marietta, McDonough, Lawrenceville and Savannah. SP recently bought the Lawrenceville center from BFI, and SP also processes multi-material recyclables from curbside programs. Industry-wide, such mergers are good news, and should boost profits, the Ameri- can Forest and Paper Association said in March. The Association credited the do~ mestic industry's rising success to the Asian economic recovery, economic growth in Europe and Latin America, and a global slowdown in the growth of production capacity. U.S. paper and paperboard growth is expected to average 0.7 percent a year during the 2000 to 2002 period, compared with a growth rate of 2.1 per- cent annually in the decade of the 1990s. "Companies have turned to buying ex- isting capacity rather than building new, hence the many mergers we've been seeing," said AF&PA President Henson Moore, in a news release from the association. 8 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS Century. Tree .Chal.l.en.ge. . give said Lbyancnk.Ctoobab~C(m)manmaugneitry.,o''.f Keep Georgi,a Beautifol.. A.s trees mature, they provide Georgia's 159 counties: Tl:;tough planting the century tree is an important asp1.1ct of tile prqgram, the challenge two-year. maintenance program/' sa,id. c.obb. ; . "After two years, the. tree will be inspected by the and is Tlj.ree state organi:za(ions. oxygen and shade, habitat fqr doesn't stop .there. The. trees Georgia . . Forestry banded together. to herald . anima.Is riat:ura.I beauty. require maintenance to reach comniisston before it all . the new millennium in a . . "All of these things are their lOOlhbirthday. officially .named \\'ay thatshoulcl outlive high on the list of a livable '.'Participants n:rnst submit a 'Century Tree:"? tbe ether hoopla, by about cornlu:riity," .Cobb s.aid.... 100 years.. ''Out goal was to plantJOO The Century Tree Century Trees in Georgia, Challenge is an initiative of .ancl by the looks.'of lt, we'll the Georgia Forestry pass that goal," said Greg Corilmissioninpartiiership Streiikowski of the Georgia with Keep Georgia Forestry {::ommissiori. "We want. . Beautiful and the. Georgia . to emphasize the long:.. of Flavors the Centu~y Several species of long".living trees were planted across Georgia. in the Century Tree.Challenge.. They include: Keep Troup B~au:tiful: Magnolia Keep Savanilall Be~utiful:.tive Oak . Urban Forest CounciLThe idea . is to 'highlight a community's c:ollliUitmel;lt .to keeping thefr home term benefits of trees .throughout the state.'' The finaJ tally for tl:;te hardy. trees, including qaks and Keep Roswell Beautiful: Red Maple Keep Walton Beautiful: WillowOak. KeepAlbany/Dougherty Beautiful: Live Oak beautifril, with a lasting, living monument. "The goal is to instill in.a community the v,alue of magnoiias, stands at 118 Centu(y Trees, along with 144 Milieniiiqm Grove trees, an effort that just mi.ssed Oconee Clean and Beautiful: Shumard Oak K~ep Collimbus Beautiful: Gre.en Ash Keep Toccoa~Stephens Co. Beautiful: Pin Oak trees, and what they can planting a. tree in each of . Keep Athens Beautiful:. Willow Oak . Announcements The Georgia Environmental Partnership will present the next round of the Georgia Environmental Network meetings. Topics to be covered include hazardous chemicals storage regulations (including emergency planning requirements under Section 302 and hazardous chemical inventory reporting requirements under Sections 311/312 of EPCRA), and a discussion of wood waste availability, uses, and how to profitably dispose of these materials. Each session will last approximately 2 hours and is free to all attendees. For other information about these periodic network meetings, contact John Adams of Georgia Tech EDI at (800) 859-0968. Location Meeting Date Athens July 11 Cartersville July 13 Rome July 13 Griffin July 25 Columbus Se t. 12 Electronics Recycling Workshop EPA Region 4 and the Southern Waste Information Exchange (SWIX) will sponsor the Computer & Electronic Equipment Recycling & Management Workshop in Atlanta, GA at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel on August 7 -8, 2000. The workshop fee is $50. A limited number of rooms have been reserved at a government rate of $93/night. Forreservations call (404) 659-1400. For more information on the workshop, contact Ray Moreau of SWIX at (800) 441-7949. For registration, contact Gene Jones of SWIX at (800) 441-7949. Georgia Recycling Coalition Conference Mark your calendars for-Wednesday-Friday, August 30, 31 and September 1, 2000 for the for the 9th Annual Georgia Recycling Coalition conference and membership meeting. Renaissance Pineisle Resort, on Lake Lanier Islands, will be the setting for the annual business meeting, educational sessions, special interest group meetings, networking opportunities, as well as the newest ongoing feature - the "Truth or Dare" markets panel, and a State of the State opening session. Recycling Investment Forum scheduled The 5th Annual Southeast Recycling Investment Forum will be held on September 20, 2000 at the Adams Mark Hotel in Charlotte, NC. For more information, contact Ted Campbell of the South Carolina Department of Commerce at (803) 737-0239 or tcampbel@commerce.state.sc.us. More information about the Forum and submission of business plans can be found on the Forum's official announcement (Adobe Acrobat pdf reader required) at http://www.ganet.org/dnr/p2ad. 2000 Governor's Awards for Pollution Prevention The 2000 Governor's Awards for Pollution Prevention will be presented in Fall 2000. These awards recognize organizations that demonstrate outstanding leadership and commitment to Georgia's environment through innovative pollution prevention efforts. More information and application forms for the awards are available at http://www.ganet.org/dm/p2ad/recog. 9 THE WASTE STREAM JOURNALSPRING2000 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ THE WASTE STREAM JOURNAL is published quarterly by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Funding for this publication is provided by the Georgia Solid Waste Trust Fund. We welcome any comments, criticisms or suggestions for future editions. News releases are welcome. We can't guarantee we will publish all releases, but we do wish to report significant waste reduction news from the state and the region. Please send releases and correspondence to: Joe Dunlop, Editor The Waste Stream Journal Georgia Department of Community Affairs 60 Executive Park South, NE Atlanta, Georgia 30329-2231 (404) 679-1598 (404) 679-0646 (FAX) jdunlop@dca.state.ga.us Check Out :r::x=.A's Web Site www.dca.state.ga.us & KEEP GEORGIA BEAUTIFUL's Web Site www.KeepGeorgiaBeautiful.org DCA Environmental Assistance Program RICK BROOKS Director, Planning & Environmental Management Division (404) 679-0608 RANDY HARTMANN Director, Office of Environmental Management .................. (404) 679-4816 LYNN COBB Manager, Keep Georgia Beautiful ........................................ (404) 679-4910 SARAH VISSER PATTI INSINNA . (404) 679-4998 Special Projects (Christmas Tree Recycling, Statewide Litter Reduction Campaign, Keep Georgia Beautiful) Program Assistant ................................................................. (404) 679-1739 PAMELA WRIGHT-BOYE Program Support Coordinator ............................................... (404) 679-4922 RHONDA KOPLIN MICHAEL HINTZE ALTHEA McCOY JOE DUNLOP BERENICE THOMAS (404) 679-3152 Education Training, Awards Program, Keep Georgia Beautiful (404) 679-4853 Home Composting, Energy and Water Conservation (404) 679-3144 Solid Waste Planning Coordination (404) 679-1598 SW Public Information, SW Annual Report, The Waste Stream Journal Secretary ................................................................................ (404) 679-3142 PATRICK VICKERS (404) 679-3151 SWM Survey and Full Cost Report You may compose any DCA employee's e-mail address by using his/her first initial and last name (up to eight characters total) followed by "@dca.state.ga.us" Example - rhartman@dca.state.ga.us DCA and the Office of E n v. i r o n m e n t a l Management offer. its best wi.shes .to our former employe(/S .Heather Leo, . Karen Sabatini, and [{avid Smith. They will be missed. CALENDAR OF EVENTS 12 Urban Forestry council Meeting, Athens 19 P2AD Workshop, Macon ACRONYMS COMMONLY USED IN THE WASTE STREAM JOURNAL C&D Construction and Demolition DCA Georgia Department of Community Affairs DNR Georgia Department of Natural Resources D0T Georgia Department of Transportation EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPD Georgia Environmental Protection Division (DNR) 25 SWANA Board Meeting, Athens 25-28 Landfill Operators Certification Training, Athens tu!Jj!@i 3-4 south/Southeast KAB Regional Conference, Gatlinburg 7-8 Computer & Electronic Equipment Recycling, Atlanta 30-Sept. 1 Georgia Recycling coalition Conference. Lake Lanier GEFA Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority GHEP Georgia Hospitality Environmental Partnership (P2AD) KAB Keep America Beautiful, Inc. MRF Materials Recovery Facility MSW Municipal Solid Waste P2AD Georgia Pollution Prevention Assistance Division (DNR) RDC Regional Development Center SWM Solid Waste Management 1315 KAB Director's Conference, Cartersville 13 SWANA - Georgia 2000 Fall Conference, Macon Please send your event info for this calendar to: jdunlop@dca.state.ga.us 10 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS New hires at state level to help at the local level Department of Community Affairs ments grapple with solid waste management planning issues. Michael Hintze is a Program Coordinator in DCA's Sarah Visser is a Program Office of Environmental Management. Michael holds a BS Coordinator in the Keep Georgia Beautiful program of the in Environmental Economics Office of Environmental and Management from the Management. Sarah has a BA University of Georgia. He served two years in Poland as and a MPA from the University of Georgia. Sarah will a volun- manage teer with the Peace Corps, a n d worked with a U GA affiliated special events f or Keep Georgia Beautif u 1, includ- institute helping local governments. At DCA, ing the Great American Cleanup and the Michael coordinates local solid waste management efforts, such as DCA's back- ."Bring One for the Chipper" Christmas tree recycling program. yard composting program, and looks forward.to expanding his focus to helping local governments with energy conservation, land use and greenspace initiatives. Pamela Wright-Boye is a Program Support Coordinator in the Office of Environmental Management. Pamela holds a BA in Psychology from Spelman College, and Althea McCoy (pronounced 'Al-thee') is a Program Coordinator in DCA's Office of Environmental Management. Althea has a BA in Political Science from Spelman College and a MA in Public Man agement from the University of Maryland. Althea previously worked with the Environmental Protection Agency in worked towards an MA from Ne w York University. She p r e viously worked at Studio Museum in Harlem, and The Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts in New York City. At DCA, Pamela assists departmental projects and program activities, including Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation activities. Atlanta, dealing with brownfields issues. At DCA, Joe Dunlop was recently she'll be helping local govern- hired as a Program Coordina- tor in DCA's Office of Environmental Management. Joe has a BA in Journalism from the State University of West Georgia. He will be coordinating publications from the Office of Environmental Management, including the qua r t er 1 y newsletter The Waste Stream Journal and the annual report. He previously covered environmental and local government topics for newspapers in Gwinnett County, Valdosta and Cordele. Joe Krewer (no photo available) is expected to join DCA's Office ofEnvironmental Management in mid-July as a Program Coordinator, concentrating on water quality issues. Joe has spent nearly 6 years with EPD, most recently with its nonpoint source pollution program. He also has extensive laboratory work experience in the private sector. Joe holds a MS in Zoology and Aquatic Ecology from the University of Georgia, and a BS in Zoology from UGA. Pollution Prevention Assistance Division Suzanne Burnes (no photo available) comes to P2AD as a Pollution Prevention Specialist after seven years of hazardous waste management consulting to the U.S. EPA and U.S. Army. Su.zanne's duties include preparing newsletters, case studies, and other publications. She is also responsible for P2AD's participation in the Regional DoD P2 Partnership, and manages P2AD's outreach to the hospitality industry. Suzanne holds a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies from Warren Wilson College. Chuck Boelkins (no photo available) joins P2AD as a Resource Recovery Specialist to help clients with their recycling issues and opportunities. Previously, Chuck served Rockdale County, Georgia for seven years as Recycling and Solid Waste Manager. He is a Certified Recycling Manager (by SWANA) and has contributed to DCA training workshops for recycling coordinators and Pay-As-You-Throw programs. Chuck holds a PhD in Research Design and Experimental Analysis from Stanford University and has held teaching and research positions at several major universities Environmental Protection Division Janet Hardin (no photo available) recently began her duties as Environmental Project Administrator at EPD, where she'll be responsible for the Local Government Enforcement and Education Program. She worked previously at the Department of Administrative Services, providing technical assistance to state agencies with recycled product purchasing, and worked to develop markets for environmentally sound industries. 11 THE WASTE STREAM JOURNALSPRING2000 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Character Counts Character education workshops available for Georgia educators Why would an article about "Character Education" be in The Waste Stream Journal? If you're an educator, you are familiar with the term "character education" and House Bill 605, signed into law by Governor Barnes in April 1999. It includes a provision that local school boards must implement a comprehensive character education program for levels K12 by the beginning of the 2000/2001 school year. For environmental purposes, character education curricula attempt to foster a caring for, and conservation of, natural resources and all living things. Waste in Place workshops are now being booked for the 2000/2001 school year and many of the lessons fit into character education programs. The solid waste interdisciplinary curriculum includes information about composting, recycling, litter prevention and landfilling. When at least twenty educators attend, the workshops are conducted at no charge to communities in Georgia. Participants may include teachers, curriculum directors, principals, and media and educational specialists. For more information about the Waste in Place workshops, please contact Rhonda Koplin at 404-679-3152 or rkoplin@dca.state.ga.us. Pay-As-You-Throw workshops end with popular roundtable format DCA's round of Pay-As-You-Throw workshops ended with a roundtable discussion that participants praised as a chance to discuss waste-reduction programs with their peers from communities statewide. Feedback on the roundtable portion of the workshops included comments like "Much more relevant, by having contact with cities, counties" and "More information - more relaxed, more participation." Under a Pay-As-You-Throw program, also known as unit-pricing, residents and businesses are charged for waste collection based on the amount of trash they throw away, providing a direct economic incentive to reduce the amount of waste generated. DCA's sponsorship of PAYT workshops has ended, but DCA will continue to lend ~hnical support for communities interested in the program. For more information, contact AltheaMcCoyat404-679-3144,orviae-mail at amccoy@dca.state.ga.us. THE WASTE STREAM JOURNAL Georgia Department of Community Affairs 60 Executive Park South, NE Atlanta, GA30329-2231 An Equal Opportunity Employer If you would like to receive this publication in an alternative format, please contact the: Georgia Department of Community Affairs at (404) 679-4915 or 1 (800) 736-1155 (TDD). If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, please call us or return the mailing label to have your name removed from our mailing list. Thanks! Printed on Recycled Paper 12