News Watch

EPA: FLOW CONTROL, ENVIRONMENT NOT LINKED

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that solid waste flow control offers little or nothing in the way of protecting health and the environment, assuring capacity or increasing recycling.

EPA’s "Report to Congress on Flow Control and Municipal Solid Waste" indicates that flow controls are an administratively efficient tool for local governments to plan and fund solid waste management systems. "However, protection of human health and the environment is directly related to the implementation and enforcement of federal, state and local environmental regulations rather than to the existence of flow control measures," according to an EPA announcement of the report. In addition, data also indicate that flow control is not essential for developing municipal solid waste management or capacity, or for achieving recycling goals, the agency adds.

The agency also found that only 2.7 percent of the 40 million tons of recyclable material collected nationally each year are subject to flow control.

EPA’s findings and conclusions were applauded by the National Solid Wastes Management Association, Washington. "EPA’s study once and for all exposes the nakedness of flow control," according to Bruce Parker, executive vice president of federal legislative and external affairs for the Environmental Industry Associations, the umbrella association that includes NSWMA.

"Essentially none of the important goals of modern waste management require the use of this monopolistic and inefficient practice," says Parker. "Given this Congress’ clear interest in making the nation’s laws as cost-effective as possible, flow control fails miserably as a candidate for legislation."

INT’L WORKSHOP STRESSES TRADE

Government and industry representatives at a United Nations Basel Convention meeting released a joint statement in March stressing the importance of secondary raw materials to nations around the world.

The "global workshop," held in Dakar, Senegal, March 15 through 17, was prompted by the decision of Basel Convention parties to phase out cross-frontier movement of all hazardous recyclable materials by the end of 1997.

Participants in the statement agreed that "there is important global trade of non-hazardous recyclables which should continue and be developed as an important source of materials for the economies of the developing countries."

There is now an "urgent need" to resolve questions related to definitions, classification and characterization of hazardous waste as defined in the Basel Convention, according to the Bureau of International Recycling. This process would begin at a meeting scheduled to take place this month in Copenhagen at the invitation of the Danish government.

Francis Veys, secretary general of BIR, says the March meeting had met its goal in advancing international dialogue on the materials embraced by the Basel Convention decision. "But it is only a start, if an important one," says Veys, who points out that a number of countries, particularly in Southeast Asia and Latin America, had stated emphatically that secondary metal was essential to their economies.

"We will work with all governments to devise methods to ensure that countries can continue to receive the materials they need, while ensuring that the Basel goal of environmentally sound management of all wastes is advanced," he says.

CIWMB LISTS NEW MARKET ZONES

The California Integrated Waste Management Board has designated 11 new Recycling Market Development Zones statewide.

The new zones are Fresno County, Mother Lode, Napa/Solano areas, North Eastern California, Shasta Metro, Siskiyou County, Madera County, Santa Barbara Regional, San Joaquin County, San Francisco and the County of Santa Clarita.

CIWMB assists businesses by offering low-interest loans of up to $1 million. To date, CIWMB has approved more than $13 million in loans to business RMDZs. The Board also offers technical assistance on financing strategies and marketing nationally and internationally.

centive packages tailored to their particular zones.

"The Board’s zone program has already created an estimated 1,000 new jobs statewide while establishing valuable new markets for locally diverted recyclables," according to CIWMB member Paul Relis, chair of the Market Development Committee. "The addition of 11 new zones will help drive that number higher."

EPA APPROVES RAC/CBOT FUNDING