THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 31, 1995 TAG: 9505270026
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
Regarding ``Congress has the remedy,'' (editorial, May 4), you are misguided. Flow control is as much the answer to SPSA as suspending the First Amendment is to silencing the ``critical of the system'' talk-show hosts.
Under flow control, the government will determine by whom and how our ``solid waste'' is handled, hauled and disposed of. Do you believe the government should control all this? Now we have a recycling system. Under ``flow control'' the government would determine by whom and how you would dispose of the recyclable items along with non-recyclable items - and be able to retain any proceeds.
The SPSA plan to burn for power all items which could be burned and landfill only what could not be burned was adopted with the city council's blessing as a way to quiet the electorate.
Perhaps the environment would be better served with a different household disposal format, such as more separation of items.
With numerous small waste power-generating plants, couldn't the collection trucks be smaller and powered with cleaner fuels (propane, natural gas, electricity?) Couldn't Old Dominion University, Norfolk State, public housing, city government complexes, etc., have trash-burning facilities to supply power for themselves in cooperation with Virginia Power?
SPSA charges $35 to $40 a ton for disposal. Newport News landfill charges nothing; private industry charges as little as $2.50 a ton. As with any new idea, the formulation of a plan is difficult; however, now is the time to re-think the present course of the SPSA.
Your editorial writer is correct that action needs to be taken; however, not action as drastic as flow control could be.
JOSEPH B. HALL
Norfolk, May 8, 1995 by CNB