Green Team OKs waste plan

Thursday, August 24, 2006 YOUNGSTOWN — The seven-member Mahoning County Green Team policy committee has unanimously adopted the county's 17-year solid waste management plan update. The plan now goes to the county's townships and municipalities and commissioners and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for approval. The policy board of the Green Team, otherwise known as the Mahoning County Solid Waste Management District, approved the plan after a six-week public comment period and an Aug. 14 public hearing. First developed in 1993, the plan is updated about every five years. The plan approved earlier this week calls for increasing residential and commercial recycling from the present 14 percent to the state goal of 25 percent of the waste stream and industrial recycling from 39 percent to the state goal of 66 percent of the waste stream by 2010. The industrial category includes scrap metal, gravel and fly ash. Jim Petuch, Green Team director, told the policy board Tuesday that he plans to operate on an even faster timetable, meeting both goals by 2008. Besides using curbside and drop-off recycling programs, the plan's strategies for achieving its goals include countywide composting of yard waste to keep it out of landfills and a new materials exchange program to promote reuse of old appliances. Implementation of the plan will be funded by $3 million in tipping fees the county receives annually for garbage dumped in its landfills, including both locally originating and out-of-state trash.