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What is a
Solid Waste District?
In 1988, when stories of abandoned hazardous
waste dumps filled our newspapers and out-of-state garbage threatened to fill up
Ohio landfills, the Ohio legislature decided to act to avoid a future waste
disposal crisis in Ohio.
As a result, Ohio House Bill 592, the state's solid waste management law, was
enacted. It requires Ohio's counties to take responsibility for planning
adequate landfill capacity for their citizens and reducing the amount of trash
disposed in landfills.
To do this, every county in Ohio is required to have a Solid Waste District, and
a plan covering at least a fifteen year period, detailing how they will reduce
the amount of solid waste disposed by their citizens and businesses.
Each District plan must contain specific programs for the reduction of:
The District's plan must be approved by the
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the cities, villages and townships
located in the District. It is updated every five years with current information
and new programs. Each year the District is required to report to the Ohio EPA
the amount of progress made toward reaching the statewide goal of reducing or
recycling at least 50% of the total waste generated in Ohio.
What does the
District do for Erie County?
Since the approval of the District's first
solid waste plan on January 1, 1994, the Erie County District has implemented a
variety of recycling and waste reduction opportunities for Erie County citizens.
The District's annual report
gives a detailed description of the District's activities. Highlights of
2007 include:
| Provided
14 drop-off sites in Erie County for glass, paper, cans and plastic.
Erie County citizens recycled 4,068,000 pounds of materials at these
sites in 2006. |
| Conducted an Appliance & Electronics
Roundup that netted 28.03 tons of appliances and 21 tons of electronic
equipment, all of which was recycled. |
| Partnered with Sandusky Feed & Supply,
Goodwill Retail Store, Huron Ace Hardware and Island Market as well as
with the Berlin-Milan schools, BGSU Firelands Campus, Vermilion Local
Schools, Huron Schools and Margaretta Schools to collect and recycle
4,915 pounds of
household batteries. |
| Funded 10 communities for clean-up events
that netted 50.97 tons of tires, 353 tons of yard waste, 2 propane
tanks, and 28.02 tons of scrap, metal and appliances. |
The Erie County Waste Reduction program supported the
District's projects with recycling education programs for school-age and adult
audiences, and waste reduction collection events for volunteers of all ages. In
2007, the Solid Waste Reduction Program:
| Presented 250
educational programs about recycling and waste reduction to Erie County
residents and students. |
| Brought "Lucky the
Ladybug" to library programs, festivals and outdoor events to introduce
the topic of waste reduction to young children. |
| Displayed waste
reduction information at 15 area events. |
| Published 3 issues
of the
Erie County Recycler, a newsletter distributed to over 10,000
rural households in Erie County. |
| Affiliate of Keep
America Beautiful and help coordinate litter free and waste reduction
events throughout Erie County during the Great American Clean Up. |
| Funded a summer
Litter Crew that picked up litter from Erie County public roads and
parks throughout Erie County. |
| In partnership with
five area fire stations, held a mercury thermometer exchange and
collected 10 pounds of loose
mercury and 464 mercury filled devices. For more information on
hazardous waste
click here. For more information on hazardous materials
click here.
For more information on household waste
click here. |
How is the District funded?
Ohio law allows Solid
Waste Districts to fund their recycling programs by collecting a fee on solid
waste disposed in landfills and transfer stations. The law requires Ohio
landfills and transfer stations to collect fees on behalf of Districts and remit
the fees monthly to the appropriate Solid Waste District.
The Erie County Solid Waste District is funded by a $3 per ton generation fee
that is charged on waste originating in Erie County. The fee is collected at any
landfill or transfer station in Ohio where Erie County waste is taken. In 2007,
the District collected $290,667 in fees on 106,979 tons of waste. The generation
fee will increase to $4 per ton on January 1, 2008.
In order to fund educational programs and special waste reduction projects, the
District also seeks out and applies for grant funds. The education and waste
reduction activities of Waste Reduction Program are funded mainly by a Rural
Recycling Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture.
The District does not receive funding from the county general fund. Neither can
District fees be used to support county activities. Fee revenue can only be
spent on District activities.
Who can
I contact for more information?
The Solid Waste
District office can provide more information on waste reduction programs, as
well as speakers, literature and information on Erie County recycling
opportunities. Contact:
District Coordinator
Erie County Solid Waste District
P.O. Box 469, 554 River Road
Huron, OH 44839
419-433-7303 Fax 419-433-6214
Recycle@erie-county-ohio.net
The District Policy Committee is a
seven-member committee responsible for the development of the District plan and
programs. Representatives in 2007 include:
William J.
Monaghan, Erie County Commissioner
Robert England, Erie County Health Department Designee
Matthew D. Kline, City Manager, City of Sandusky
Linda P. Cornell, Citizen Representative
Pat C. Tomazic, Public Representative
Janet E. Knittle, Township Representative
James A. Guerra, Waste Generator Representative
The District Board of Directors is responsible for
implementing District waste reduction programs in accordance with the District
Plan. By Ohio law, the Board consists of the Erie County Commissioners:
Thomas M. Ferrell, Jr.
Bill Monaghan
Nancy C. McKeen
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