COUNTY PONDERS C&D RECYCLING MANDATE
The Mendocino County (California) Board of Supervisors is considering a recycling plan that would force construction and demolition companies doing business in the unincorporated parts of the county to recycle at least half of all recyclable materials, according to a report in the Ukiah Daily Journal (Ukiah, Calif.).
The Construction and Demolition Recycling and Reuse Ordinance, first brought before the board in December 2005 and subsequently sent out for review by interested parties, seeks, in part, to help Mendocino County reach a state mandated 50-percent diversion rate for solid waste.
Currently, Mendocino County has a 48 percent rate, which has risen substantially since being measured at 36 percent in 2003 in light of expansion of recycling programs, according to the report. The California Integrated Waste Management Board, however, has recommended that a C&D recycling ordinance be prepared to finally meet the goal.
The ordinance will apply only to demolition projects greater than or equal to 1,000 square feet in size and construction projects equal to or greater than 5,000 square feet.
The plan would require demolition sites to recycle 50 percent of tonnage including concrete and asphalt and 15 percent of tonnage not including concrete and asphalt. In re-roofing projects, 50 percent of wood, slate and stone, and 50 percent of asphalt shingles would need to be recycled as long as there was a recycling option available. For construction and remodeling projects, 50 percent of all recyclable materials would need to be properly handled.
Construction and demolition companies would be required to submit a Recycling and Reuse Plan—a one-page document detailing the method to be used for recycling and for disposal of non-recyclable materials—before a demolition or construction permit was issued. Also, the county would collect a 35-cent-per-square-foot deposit that would be returned in full within 60 days of project completion if the company submitted evidence showing the minimum recycling requirement was met. If it was not, only a portion of the deposit will be returned.
Companies failing to comply with the mandate would potentially be subject to fees and public nuisance charges, according to the report.
ALABAMA COUNTY COMMISSION REJECTS C&D PLANT
The Lowndes County Commission (Alabama) has rejected a proposal for a three-part development plan along the Alabama River that included a construction and demolition debris landfill, according to a report in the Mobile Press-Register (Mobile, Ala.).
Alabama River Partners LLC introduced the plan in July. The $25-million project included the C&D landfill, a sand and gravel mining operation and an inland port. Supporters of the project touted the positive impact the development would bring to the area, including 75 jobs for the rural county, according to the report. However, the plan sparked resistance in the community over potential environmental hazards.
NEW YORK TOWN RECEIVES BROWNFIELD DEVELOPMENT GRANT
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a $200,000 grant to Fort Edward, N.Y., for brownfields development.
The town will be able to use the funds to inventory, characterize, assess and conduct planning and community involvement related to brownfields in the area, including old industrial sites along the Hudson River. The town plans to develop the sites along the river to include residential and commercial facilities as well as recreational green space, according to a news release from the EPA.
To date, the EPA has awarded nationally 883 assessment grants totaling $225.4 million, 202 revolving loan fund grants totaling $186.7 million and 238 cleanup grants totaling $42.7 million.
More information is available at www.epa.gov/brownfields.
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