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The Wayne County Commissioners have adopted revisions to the Municipal Waste Management Ordinance, pending review by the Department of Environmental Protection.
Wayne Couty Solid Waste Director Randy Heller said Thursday that updates and revisions to the plan are mandatory every 10 years under Act 101.
“Counties have to secure guaranteed disposal for 10 years,” Heller said.
According to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the plan is used to reduce municipal waste, recycle at least 25 percent of waste generated, use recycled materials and educate the public about the benefits of recycling and waste reduction.
For municipalities that complete the waste disposal plan, the DEP allocates grants to help offset expenses incurred during the planning process.
These grants include a “planning grant,” in which counties are reimbursed for 80 percent of approved costs to prepare municipal waste management plans. Counties also receive a 90 percent reimbursement from a “recycling grant,” which goes toward approved costs to establish municipal recycling programs.
“Recycling coordinator grants” reimburse county governments 50 percent of approved salary and expenses for a county recycling coordinator.
Heller said the plan was developed by a committee comprised of individuals from the waste management industry, municipal officials and the recycling coordinator.
Commissioner Wendell Kay said the committee was very active and used a lot of suggestions from the public in revising the waste plan.
There is little change in the new plan, Heller said.
Most changes were made because of demographic changes, such as population and the amount of waste produced, which have changed over the past 10 years.
Heller also discussed the transfer of New York and New Jersey garbage into the state. He said out-of-state haulers still have to pay the $2 per ton fee, which benefits the state.
“It’s a source of funding,” Heller said, adding that the revenue collected from fees goes into a recycling fund, which gets allocated back to county governments.
The new municipal waste disposal plan will be valid from 2010 until 2020, when the county will again have to revise or amend the plan.
The Wayne County Commissioners have adopted revisions to the Municipal Waste Management Ordinance, pending review by the Department of Environmental Protection.
Wayne Couty Solid Waste Director Randy Heller said Thursday that updates and revisions to the plan are mandatory every 10 years under Act 101.
“Counties have to secure guaranteed disposal for 10 years,” Heller said.
According to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the plan is used to reduce municipal waste, recycle at least 25 percent of waste generated, use recycled materials and educate the public about the benefits of recycling and waste reduction.
For municipalities that complete the waste disposal plan, the DEP allocates grants to help offset expenses incurred during the planning process.
These grants include a “planning grant,” in which counties are reimbursed for 80 percent of approved costs to prepare municipal waste management plans. Counties also receive a 90 percent reimbursement from a “recycling grant,” which goes toward approved costs to establish municipal recycling programs.
“Recycling coordinator grants” reimburse county governments 50 percent of approved salary and expenses for a county recycling coordinator.
Heller said the plan was developed by a committee comprised of individuals from the waste management industry, municipal officials and the recycling coordinator.
Commissioner Wendell Kay said the committee was very active and used a lot of suggestions from the public in revising the waste plan.
There is little change in the new plan, Heller said.
Most changes were made because of demographic changes, such as population and the amount of waste produced, which have changed over the past 10 years.
Heller also discussed the transfer of New York and New Jersey garbage into the state. He said out-of-state haulers still have to pay the $2 per ton fee, which benefits the state.
“It’s a source of funding,” Heller said, adding that the revenue collected from fees goes into a recycling fund, which gets allocated back to county governments.
The new municipal waste disposal plan will be valid from 2010 until 2020, when the county will again have to revise or amend the plan.
