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Old tradition needs recycling
Published Sunday, July 20, 2008
Once upon a time Natchez touted its past with a nostalgic motto: Where the old South still lives.
Through the years, that motto’s use has waned, fortunately. The old phrase faded as times and people change.
Today, while Natchez still celebrates its amazing past, we also need to constantly look to the future. We need to focus not solely on where we have been, but on where we’re going.
Our area’s incredible history and preserved components of it are extremely important, but in one key, quality of life aspect, Natchez remains largely stuck in the past too, and in not such a good way.
While countless other communities have embraced community-recycling programs, our area has virtually none.
We cast off bags filled with trash like the fictional character Scarlett O’Hara casted off suitors in the opening minutes of the film version of “Gone with the Wind.”
Our attitude toward the mountains of garbage — at least some of which can and should be recycled — seems to mimic O’Hara too.
Fiddle-dee-dee, it’s just another million pounds of garbage.
Perhaps there’s no better town than Natchez to truly step out front and lead, not just the Miss-Lou, but all of Southwest Mississippi, on making recycling a priority.
Until we join forces and drive this into a reality, Natchez’s early motto is still fitting, with one slight addition: Where the old South still lives and the recyclable material still gets buried.
Comments
Posted by Idefinitelymight (Tom Scarborough) on July 20, 2008 at 5:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank you for the article on recycling, and for this editorial!
It is way past time for Natchez to embrace recycling.
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on July 20, 2008 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why we need a new environmental program: http://www.socialistaction.org/frank2.ht...
Posted by Inquirer (anonymous) on July 20, 2008 at 10:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I totally agree! It is definitely time for Natchez to join in a recycling program. Great article.
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on July 20, 2008 at 11:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The St Catherine Creek Utility Authority should be the one in charge of this since they are the new pollution control Authority in Adams County. They have the power to set up the infrastructure and hire someone to run it and they can fund it like Entergy plans to fund the new nuclear plant, through increasing garbage collection rates throughout the county. All they need to do is to hire a consultant to tell them how much it would cost to set up a recycling program and sell some bonds for that amount and pay back the bonds through rate increases.
City/county conoslidation could speed up the process and save everybody money.
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on July 20, 2008 at 1:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If Natchez decides to recycle, make sure that it is done to the best interest of the whole community. Make drop off points as well as home recycling. Papers, just like the one many read every morning are excellent recycling materials as well as other boxes and cardboard.
Glass is also a good way to recycle. Easy, just strip them and crush them and take them to the recycling facility.
Plastics have to be stripped of any wrapping before they are recycled. If it is a coke bottle or mayo jar, you have to wash the cover off of it before recycling, which means you have to use valuable water to clean it. So, in my humble opinion, that is not a good recycling program
But any type of recycling is good for the environment and will benefit our children and grandchildren for years to come.
Posted by Yeahuhuh (anonymous) on July 20, 2008 at 2:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Enkik, I never can tell if your tonque is over into your cheek or if you have just gone native from the pressure.
Wonder if a recycling effort could be done by locals at a profit????
If that wouldn't work maybe they could let illegal immigrants and poor people collect at the dump and they could keep what they find. he,he!
Yes, recycle.
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on July 20, 2008 at 6:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeahuhuh the problem with letting illegal immigrants and poor people collect at the dumpis the rich would be knocking them out of the way...
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on July 20, 2008 at 9:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
EnK...the St. Catherine Utility Authority serves at the pleasure of the Board of Supervisors and only has jurisdiction over solid waste coming into the landfill which will be filled when Rentech finishes construction...It will not be around except as a caretaker entity after the Rentech construction debris is contained in the landfill...it has no such over-reaching powers as you portray...how many times must it be said before you desist? You are misleading the people.
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on July 20, 2008 at 10:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm not misleading anyone Sam. The Creek Act never once mentions Rentech but it does mention that the boundaries covered by the Act are all of Adams County.
(h) "Project" means the construction, development or acquisition by the authority of Adams County of any infrastructure for economic development, including industrial, commercial and residential development;....
(j) "Solid waste" means any garbage, refuse, sludge from a waste treatment plant, water supply treatment plant or air pollution control facility and other discarded material, including solid, liquid, semisolid or contained gaseous material resulting from industrial, commercial, mining and agricultural operations, and from community activities....
SECTION 3. There is hereby created and established a public body corporate and politic constituting a political subdivision of the State of Mississippi to be known as the St. Catherine Creek Utility Authority. The authority is composed of the geographic area of Adams County for the purpose of acquiring property for economic development and for the planning, acquisition, construction, maintenance, operation and coordination of solid waste, storm water, water and wastewater systems in order to ensure the delivery of solid waste, storm water, water and wastewater services to citizens residing within the boundaries of Adams County.
Who is misleading who? Ken Herring, general manager of NAWA is now on the board of the Creek Authority. Remember when NAWA applied to the PSC for a permit to run a new water line?
(d) To enter into operating agreements with any person, for such terms and upon such conditions as may be deemed desirable, for the operation of any solid waste, storm water, water and wastewater systems and to lease to or from any person, for such term and upon such conditions as may be deemed desirable, any solid waste, storm water, water and wastewater collection, transportation, treatment or other facilities or systems
The Creek Authority can certainly do everything I have claimed. I don't need one of the supervisors who marshalled this in to explain to me what it means.
http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documen...
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on July 20, 2008 at 10:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
(l) "System" or "systems" means any plants, structures, facilities and other real and personal property, used or useful in the generation, storage, transportation or supply of solid waste.....
(w) To control and operate local retail solid waste, storm water, water and wastewater services and may provide or be responsible for direct servicing of those services to residences, businesses and individuals; however, the authority shall not provide the same services in an area provided by a public utility or person holding a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the Mississippi Public Service Commission for the provision of such services in the certificated area, except in industrial areas. Any rates, fees, assessments or other charges shall not be under the control or regulation of the Mississippi Public Service Commission.
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on July 20, 2008 at 10:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
(4) Any system of any municipality, public agency or other persons which becomes connected with, or tied into, the systems of the authority, shall be subject to the authority's jurisdiction and the terms of this act.
The Act says a lot, but it never mentions Rentech.
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on July 20, 2008 at 10:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
(q) To make and enforce, and from time to time, amend and repeal bylaws, rules, ordinances and regulations for the management of its business and affairs and for the construction, use, maintenance and operation of any of the systems under its management and control.
That is a pretty wide range of power, I would say, Sam. So what if the board serves at the pleasure of the supervisors? It is all one group of people anyway, working together to consolidate city and county for reasons they aren't fully revealing to the public.
Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on July 22, 2008 at 12:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I also wish we had, and see the need for, recycling here.
I've finally got my garden going again and am recycling biological waste material into the garden. Leaves make excellent mulch, composting grass cuttings in place back into the yard, and a regular compost pile of all biological material. But then there's all that thick paper, plastic, styrofoam, cans, and other rubbish that could be recycled also.
Enkikur- there's no sense in making more out of a proposed recycling program than what it really is. Just a common sense measure for saving trees that have already been cut (paper) or metal that has already been mined. Instead of allowing all that stuff to be piled into a landfill randomly, which will in time most likely cause pollution to the Miss River and downstream, and to some degree to the local water table. Any landfill is subject to erosion and a great place for real estate fraud and abuse as well. It happens all the time I don't see any relationship between conservation and socialism. Quite the opposite, I see conservation as the capitalistic ideal. There are profits to be made from recycling. As for the quoted ACT, don't forget that not only is the letter of any law legal or not legal, but there is also the spirit of that law for it's intended use, not to mention the interpretation of both in regards to enforcement and action.
But I do respect your explanations of St. Cath Authority, it's a little scary that such laws and agencies are put in place that are so vague and could have very far reaching (into our residences) effects.
Seems like Waste Management, out of it's Green (is that for money or for Environment?) activities lead the way on recycling. After all we pay them to collect all the trash. Seems like they could set up a few cans at strategic locations for folks to sort out plastic, paper, metal for their convenience. That stuff is worth money once sorted out. WM would come out ahead upon selling the presorted rubbish. That money could go toward their charge to the city for trash collection, and save Natchez money. HMMM... maybe that's why WM hasn't done anything, they make more money NOT having a recycling program around here???
In Vicksburg that's all there is to it - a few cans, each one designated for each type of rubbish. One for paper, one for plastic, one for metal and participating citizens just drive up and toss the sorted out stuff in the appropriate container. Then that is taken off and sold.
I know that my little business creates lots of nice clean cardboard that could be shredded, or just taped back and reused. I'm certain there are lots of other businesses that use lots of cardboard boxes too, and that all of them are used once, then go into Waste Management, Diamond Disposal , etc. waste cans for disposal. Whereas they could easily be collected for reuse or recycling.
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 8:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am all for this Krogers. I am merely pointing out that the Creek Authority has the legal authority to mandate recycling, and as so many of you have pointed out to me most people won't do the right thing unless they are forced to.
Your idea of Waste Managment handling this is spot on as Waste Management is already an ICLEI sponsor and partner.
The way it would work is the Creek Authority would set up the laws requiring recycling; enforcement could come from Community Policing, a frequent topic at the US Conference of Mayors meetings. Neighbors could keep an eye on each other, perhaps with some small reward going to neighbors who turn other neighbors in. Waste Managment could be authorized to run the recyling program through the Creek Authorities' contractual powers, and their employees could join in the Policing effort by reporting suspected recycling offenders along their pickup routes.
In addition to any money lost or gained through actual recycliing, there should demonstrably be some carbon credits produced through a regional program that could be sold as "Trash Backed Bonds" similar to the "Forest Backed Bonds" now being sold out of Europe. Our trash could become valuable investments.
All those cardboard boxes you have laying around are actually carbon sequestration instruments, at least until they decay and release their carbon dioxide back into the environment.
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