THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 27, 1995 TAG: 9509270011
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
According to a recent flier provided by the Southeastern Public Service Authority, curbside recycling pickup is provided for approximately 300,000 homes in Southeastern Virginia.
Although not schooled in the field of waste management and disposal, I wonder whether the recycling program is of any great merit and how much it costs Virginia taxpayers.
During the past several years, much has been written about recycling and the existing shortages of facilities or suitable locations available to handle waste material.
An article in The Wall Street Journal on Jan. 19 addressed ``The Recycling Myth.'' It mentioned that there were some temporary local shortages, but it was not believed that there was a disposal crisis.
According to a calculation done by economics Professor Clark Wiseman of Gonzaga University, in Spokane, Wash., 1,000 years of trash piled 300 feet deep would fit in an area 30 miles square. Yet the Environmental Protection Agency - a government office which could easily be disposed of - continues to distribute literature warning of regional shortages and claiming the need for recycling.
Admittedly, transporting all of our garbage to one 30-mile-square site would not be cost-effective or feasible. However, why not establish 300 such disposal facilities to receive our nation's garbage and recyclables?
MYRON O. WILCOX
Norfolk, Sept. 17, 1995 by CNB