Commissioners Consider Waste Management Policy

The main point of debate was the decision to bring in a consulting group, at a cost of $16,000, to advise on the county's mixed solid waste plan.

The plan was approved by the board in 1997 as a blueprint for reducing the amount of solid waste entering the county's landfills.

Under the 1997 plan, Orange County sought to reduce its 1991 levels of solid waste output by 45 percent by 2001 and 61 percent by 2006.

Among other options, the commissioners discussed the hiring of Resource Recycling Services Inc., based in Ann Arbor, Mich., to consult on the possibility of adding a material recovery facility -- a sorting and storage facility for recyclables -- to Orange County.

Currently the county has to send the recyclable materials it collects to companies that buy and reuse recyclable products.

But some commissioners expressed reluctance to pay for the consultation, fearing it would commit the board to the construction of a recovery facility.

"A (material recovery facility) is not something this board has discussed yet," said Commissioner Barry Jacobs. "Before we make any decisions we need to have more discussion on this topic,"

But Blair Pollock, an official with Orange County Recycling, said the desired reduction in solid waste can only be achieved by building a recycling facility.

"In order to stick to our goals we would need to have some sort of (material recycling facility)," he said.

The board also expressed concern that Resource Recycling would not be able to provide an unbiased consultation because they deal extensively with material recovery facilities.

But Resource Recycling officials maintain that they work with communities to develop a system of recycling that best fits the community's needs.

"We were founded on the core vision of economically managing the solid waste stream, but we have no predisposed plan for implementation," said Resource Recycling business partner J.D. Lindeberg.

Still other commissioners expressed a desire to weigh all the options of handling solid waste.

Present options for solid waste handling are incineration, landfilling, composting and recycling.

Other concerns arose about the type of labor used to work a material recycling facility. Members of the commission pointed to an example in Athens, Ga., in which prison labor was used to work the facility.

"I don't think we would (use prison labor), nor would we like to exploit any workers," Jacobs said.

"We would like to form a partnership with other governments and also private corporations."

Jacobs emphasized that no further action would be taken by the board without more discussion.

"We have to weigh all alternatives before we make a decision."

The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.