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munities, be more flexible to chang-
LETTERS TO ing needs, easier to establish, generate ~
THE EDITOR many more jobs, less risky financially, :r:
and save and/or recover far more en-
ergy than a centralized, giant-sized
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Regional waste, disposal (resource destruction) facil-
ity. A small disposal facilityfies) could
authority wrong way be built, if needed. ~
to go for Albany Albany and its solid waste partners ~
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Since late 2008, the city of Albany's would benefit by replacing Clough Har-
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solid waste consultant, Clough Harbour bour with a consultantts) who have a ::J
& Associates, has been preparing a proven record in maximizing waste ;0
reduction, creating vigorous and effec- o
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long-range solid waste plan, suppos- 0-
edly in conjunction with a "steering tive reuse programs, and stimulating
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committee" appointed by Albany extensive recycling by residents, busi-
nesses, government and institutions ~
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Mayor Jerry Jennings, for Albany and ::J
- something the city of Albany and Ul
13municipalities the city partners with
on solid waste, and who use Albany's
its consultant have so far shown no o·
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interest in.
Rapp Road landfill. "U
For these programs to work, a vig-
Right from the start, Clough, Har-
bour steered the steering committee to-
orous, sustained and effective educa- o
tion campaign is needed - something OJ
ward proposing vastly enlarging the ex- o
Mayor jennings, a former educator, has x
isting planning unit (220,000 residents)
shown no interest in during his 16years !
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to include surrounding counties, if they -o
running the city.
can be enticed to partner with Albany. TOM ELLIS o
Clough, Harbour released a draft plan Albany
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two months ago recommending cre- =r
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ation of a multicounty regional solid ::J
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waste authority to meet the needs of n
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700,000 people, and a large unspecified III
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treatment (disposal) facility, possibly
a 1,500 tons per day waste-to-energy
trash incinerator.
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At steering committee meetings I
attended, Clough, Harbour indicated
that creation of a regional authority is
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necessary for construction of a large ~ Y' --'
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treatment station because a facility such n ~
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as they prefer would not be economical
in the much smaller existing planning S -
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unit. Last spring, when I asked Clough
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Harbour what items would be taken
to the disposal facility, they would not tll
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identify any specific materials. If they
will not say what will be disposed of
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in a giant-sized treatment facility, then
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how can it be justified. IT1
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A regional waste authority would
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require state Legislature authorization.
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Authorities are sometimes created to
site hugely expensive, controversial
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and unnecessary facilities precisely rn ....• N
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like what Clough Harbour and Mayor 0 ....•.
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Jennings favor. A better alternative is a >- I'D

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decentralized solid waste system with o
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a variety of smaller, less-costly facili- 3
ties to reuse, exchange, repair, recycle, o
and compost discarded materials. Such ~
facilities and institutions would stimu-
late economic development, build com- 9
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