Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, February 18, 1994                   TAG: 9402190004
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB L. JOHNSON
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

COUNTY HAS BEEN RECYCLING PIONEER

The fact that Ms. Shrader has participated in recycling since the fifth grade is directly attributable to my efforts in 1987. If she had bothered to check the record, she would have discovered that I sponsored the resolution in Roanoke County that established our source/separation recycling program. I'd also point out that this program was the first in Virginia, and as such, was a pilot for the entire state. I testified before a joint House-Senate conference committee in 1987 in an effort to gain state support for our efforts.

My comment regarding solving the world's problems was made in reference to our inability to affect directly the recyclables market. The example I used was sending the bulk of our recycled paper to China via boat where there are factories equipped to recycle the paper into products which are, in turn, sold back to us. At the same time, we in the United States continue to cut trees to produce pulp wood for paper products. Doesn't make much sense, does it?

Apparently, there's little or no interest in this country to require the paper industry to retool for handling the mountain of recycled paper stacked in our ports. Meanwhile, the deluge of recycled material on the market continues to drive the price to record lows. In some cases, to such lows that some localities are having to landfill - yes, landfill - the separated material. Quite a dilemma, isn't it?

If these issues sound complex, they are. I, for one, have given careful and thoughtful consideration to recycling and believe a better way to solve our valley's recycling needs would be to have our commingled solid-waste stream, at least from residential customers, sorted at the tipper station or at the face of the landfill itself. This will not, however, solve the ever-present problem of disposing of recycled material, currently stockpiled in various and sundry parts of this country.

I appreciate very much Ms. Shrader's suggestion that I study the recycling methods of progressive communities such as Vinton and Roanoke city. In fact, those localities used Roanoke County's pilot recycling programs to model their own efforts. I had thought that our efforts in the recycling arena were exemplary. The Clean Valley Council Board of Directors, on which I served two years, gave the county a special commendation for its statewide leadership.

Perhaps the next time she attributes so negative a response to something she reads in the newspaper, Ms. Shrader would be better served to check all the facts before formulating such an erroneous conclusion.

\ Bob L. Johnson represents the Hollins District on the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors.