Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 29, 1992 TAG: 9203300195
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: F-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
These companies know that the best way to placate public interest in recycling is to control it. Start a new division, buy out competition, and make sure the program does not threaten your dump or incinerator.
WMI, under the banner "Recycle America," is going into communities all across the country to run recycling programs to make sure no one else gets into the business. Give us recycling as long as we get the trash also. Or, let us locate where we can in the future take over running a regional or local facility.
WMI and other large waste dumpers are being rejected daily around the country. Many localities trust their own people, leaders and businesses to run their own recycling and waste disposal.
Granted, the federal government's cooperation with the large trash haulers makes it difficult. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines purposely make it too costly for many localities to run a landfill, and EPA is demanding closure of existing dumps in a two-year period. So localities lobbied by these huge garbage companies choose them sometimes in fear of government penalties.
The waste industry is among the most politically powerful and politically favored in America. Through the "better government" political-action committee to which WMI is a huge contributor, more than $430,000 was given to members of Congress in 1987-88. There is a big lie that our garbage problem - landfill closings, pressures and crisis - "just happened" and that companies like WMI, BFI and Chambers Development are here to save us.
Surely if we can run our schools, build complex road systems, and run hospitals and other services, we can use local people, businesses and creativity to solve our waste problems. PETE D. CASTELLI III Citizens Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste FLOYD
by CNB