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GRRWA considers tire disposal improvements
By Joe Benedict /MVM News Network
FORT MADISON - The Great River Regional Waste Authority Commission brainstormed on Friday with Jeff Phillips of the GRRWA's engineering consultant firm, Barker and Lamar.
The waste authority is required to update its comprehensive plan every three years and Friday was the first of two meetings to do that.
Phillips asked commission members what they would like to work on to improve the authority. The commission listed several items to work on to make operations better. The first was to keep providing education about the programs the authority offers.
Commissioner Brad Randolph suggested expanding the type of recyclable plastics the authority can handle.
A big issue in many counties is tire disposal. It was suggested to work on tire disposal programs such as possible amnesty day or even mobile pickups to make it more convenient to residents.
Commissioner Gary Adam suggested working with legislators to see if there could be a charge when selling a tire to ensure the proper disposal of the tire when it is used.
“When you buy a 12-pack of pop, you pay the 60 cent deposit if you want to or not,” he said.
Commission members said people don't want to pay to dispose of old items, so paying for disposal when purchasing items may help.
Along with working with legislators is searching for grant opportunities.
Another issue is keeping recylables separated during pickup so the items don't have to be separated at the landfill. The commission discussed this several months ago and decided it wasn't affordable, but it could be reviewed in upcoming years.
Alternative waste management also was discussed. Ideas include extracting the methane produced by the waste cells for use as energy. It's an expensive proposition, Commission Chair Bob Woodruff said. He noted a landfill in California claims to recycle or reuse 89 percent of what is brought in to them.
Barker and Lamar surveyed communities in the authority's area. There were few responses, but of the surveys returned, tire disposal was the item people were least satisfied with. The GRRWA scored high on recycling options and education and in the middle on appliance recycling, hazardous household material disposal, E-waste and yard waste disposal.
In other business, operations manager Wade Hamm said he found a way to earn the GRRWA about $113,000 a year. The landfill will accept fly ash material from the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in Middletown. The Des Moines County facility doesn't want the waste, but there is nothing hazardous about it, he said.
He also sent notification to the DNR concerning the GRRWA's intent to separate the groundwater monitoring systems of phases one and two. He said since phase one is now closes because of the start of construction on a new cell, it should remain under old regulations. By separating the monitoring systems, the system in phase one won't have to be upgraded.
The waste authority is required to update its comprehensive plan every three years and Friday was the first of two meetings to do that.
Phillips asked commission members what they would like to work on to improve the authority. The commission listed several items to work on to make operations better. The first was to keep providing education about the programs the authority offers.
Commissioner Brad Randolph suggested expanding the type of recyclable plastics the authority can handle.
A big issue in many counties is tire disposal. It was suggested to work on tire disposal programs such as possible amnesty day or even mobile pickups to make it more convenient to residents.
Commissioner Gary Adam suggested working with legislators to see if there could be a charge when selling a tire to ensure the proper disposal of the tire when it is used.
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Commission members said people don't want to pay to dispose of old items, so paying for disposal when purchasing items may help.
Along with working with legislators is searching for grant opportunities.
Another issue is keeping recylables separated during pickup so the items don't have to be separated at the landfill. The commission discussed this several months ago and decided it wasn't affordable, but it could be reviewed in upcoming years.
Alternative waste management also was discussed. Ideas include extracting the methane produced by the waste cells for use as energy. It's an expensive proposition, Commission Chair Bob Woodruff said. He noted a landfill in California claims to recycle or reuse 89 percent of what is brought in to them.
Barker and Lamar surveyed communities in the authority's area. There were few responses, but of the surveys returned, tire disposal was the item people were least satisfied with. The GRRWA scored high on recycling options and education and in the middle on appliance recycling, hazardous household material disposal, E-waste and yard waste disposal.
In other business, operations manager Wade Hamm said he found a way to earn the GRRWA about $113,000 a year. The landfill will accept fly ash material from the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in Middletown. The Des Moines County facility doesn't want the waste, but there is nothing hazardous about it, he said.
He also sent notification to the DNR concerning the GRRWA's intent to separate the groundwater monitoring systems of phases one and two. He said since phase one is now closes because of the start of construction on a new cell, it should remain under old regulations. By separating the monitoring systems, the system in phase one won't have to be upgraded.
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