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October 23, 2009

Anonymous The Commercial-News Fri Oct 23, 2009, 11:25 PM CDT

The Vermilion County Health Department’s decision to scrap its recycling program sparked a number of discussion among local municipal officials about ways to continue to offer residents an alternative to tossing refuse into a landfill.

Officials in several communities, including Danville, are considering ways to pay for the recycling service.

Danville even has a survey going on to gauge interest among residents.

Early results of that survey are … well, less than spectacular.

About 360 households in the city have registered a response. City officials want at least 1,200 to respond.

Some people might assume their lack of response will be seen as a negative answer. They should not be so quick to think that way.

Given the opportunity to directly participate in a decision such as this, residents should be sure to do so regardless of their opinion on the issue.

Without the hard data of responses, officials can spin results however they might like to see them go.

Few “no” votes? That means people don’t care if they pay an extra $2 or more on their monthly garbage bills.

Way more “yes” votes than anything? That shows a widespread acceptance of the program ... at least among those who actually filled out the survey. The only sure way to discount any spin is to respond to the survey.

County officials started the recycling program with the idea of it being self-sustaining thanks to a $1.27 per ton fee assessed on refuse being dumped at the landfill and funds from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

When they economy turned south, the amount of trash decreased with it.

Also, changes in what kind of trash qualified for the fee changed and — perhaps the biggest element in this mix — the state’s finances turned so sour no more money could be set aside to help the county’s program.

If residents want to continue recycling, it appears they will have to pay to cover the funding gap between what the county still receives from the tipping fees and the actual cost of the program — a difference of around $16,000 a month for the whole county.

Divided among a lot of households, it’s not a lot of money. But the amount is not the point. Residents need to speak up, now, on the recycling proposal.

That way officials can make decisions based on facts and not assumptions.

FYI

A survey to gauge residents’ interest and commitment to pay more on their solid waste bill for curbside recycling can be found through Friday on the city’s Web site at http://www.cityofdanville.

org or can be picked up at: city hall, 17 W. Main St.; Danville

Public Library, 319 N. Vermilion St., or the Public Works facility, 1155 E. Voorhees St. To receive a survey in the mail, call the public works department at 431-2382. The surveys will be logged by address.

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