THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 3, 1996 TAG: 9607030003
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: 80 lines
Now that Virginia Beach has 50 drop-off recycling centers, the first thing residents can throw out are their useless 14-gallon blue SPSA bins.
Regrettably, curbside recycling was terminated in the resort city on Monday, transforming those blue bins into useless plastic cubes. Residents could use them to haul their own recycling, but the perforated nature of the bins could make leakage on car seats a problem.
Virginia Beach city officials promise that a new and improved curbside recycling system will be instituted later, but no date has been set and no program has been approved. So, for the foreseeable future, recycling at the Beach is the sole responsibility of environmentally minded citizens who don't object to loading their cars with refuse and traveling to drop-off centers to get rid of it.
As residents wait for the city's superior recycling program to be revealed, one thing is certain: Fewer people in Virginia Beach will bother with recycling, because recycling - even the curbside variety - is a bother.
It is unfortunate that the city which once led Hampton Roads in recycling is now telling its citizens: ``It's up to you.'' Even temporarily. It's also unfortunate that the Southeastern Public Service Authority made a series of blunders that drove its biggest customer away. The blame for this rupture must be shared.
Residents should be asking why the Beach representatives on the SPSA board did not exercise strong leadership to persuade their colleagues from other cities to join them in opposing the $1-per-household fee - the reason the Beach withdrew.
Regionalism is the only way for Hampton Roads to emerge as a truly competitive metropolitan area. Sad to say, several blows to regional cooperation have been struck in the past few weeks.
The most unpleasant episode occurred when Norfolk's water study revealed millions of gallons of untapped water. The report, which took Virginia Beach by surprise, could undermine the Lake Gaston Pipeline which the Beach - indeed, all South Hampton Roads - needs desperately.
Virginia Beach has promised a state-of-the-art curbside recycling program. If it delivers on this promise the program ought to be adopted by SPSA and entered into regionally. If the Beach program does not turn out to be an improvement, fragmenting SPSA was a blunder.
Now that Virginia Beach has 50 drop-off recycling centers, the first thing residents can throw out are their useless 14-gallon blue SPSA bins.
Regrettably, curbside recycling was terminated in the resort city on Monday, transforming those blue bins into useless plastic cubes. Residents could use them to haul their own recycling, but the perforated nature of the bins could make leakage on car seats a problem.
Virginia Beach city officials promise that a new and improved curbside recycling system will be instituted later, but no date has been set and no program has been approved. So, for the foreseeable future, recycling at the Beach is the sole responsibility of environmentally minded citizens who don't object to loading their cars with refuse and traveling to drop-off centers to get rid of it.
As residents wait for the city's superior recycling program to be revealed, one thing is certain: Fewer people in Virginia Beach will bother with recycling, because recycling - even the curbside variety - is a bother.
It is unfortunate that the city which once led Hampton Roads in recycling is now telling its citizens: ``It's up to you.'' Even temporarily. It's also unfortunate that the Southeastern Public Service Authority made a series of blunders that drove its biggest customer away. The blame for this rupture must be shared.
Residents should be asking why the Beach representatives on the SPSA board did not exercise strong leadership to persuade their colleagues from other cities to join them in opposing the $1-per-household fee - the reason the Beach withdrew.
Regionalism is the only way for Hampton Roads to emerge as a truly competitive metropolitan area. Sad to say, several blows to regional cooperation have been struck in the past few weeks.
The most unpleasant episode occurred when Norfolk's water study revealed millions of gallons of untapped water capacity. The report, which took Virginia Beach by surprise, could undermine the Lake Gaston Pipeline which the Beach - indeed, all South Hampton Roads - needs desperately.
Virginia Beach has promised a state-of-the-art curbside recycling program. If it delivers on this promise the program ought to be adopted by SPSA and entered into regionally. If the Beach program does not turn out to be an improvement, fragmenting SPSA was a blunder. by CNB