Education Department spokesman Pete Pillow says disposable trays made from bamboo and sugar cane will be delivered to Hand Middle School on Tuesday, replacing the plastic foam trays the school currently uses. Pillow says the bamboo and sugar cane trays are biodegradable and will be picked up from the school and recycled.

State Education Superintendent Jim Rex and Columbia Mayor Bob Coble will announce the pilot program during a news conference Tuesday morning.

More than half of the state’s public schools use disposable trays.

Via The State

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Knight, who has been county administrator for 10 years, will begin his new duties July 1. He signed a two-year contract worth just under $150,000 annually.

“It is exciting,” he said minutes after being awarded the job. “It’s just a good organization.”

Knight was one of three finalists for the job, and Danny Hardee, board member on the authority who chaired the search committee, said he knew Knight was right for the job when he walked into the interview with two legal pads – one with short-term goals and another with long-term goals.

“You could see he really put a lot of thought and some homework into what he wanted to do,” Hardee said. “With his knowledge and expertise, we just could not see how Danny Knight would not be our choice.”

Basem Hilal, chairman of the Solid Waste Authority’s board of directors, said the choice was unanimous.

“I believe we made the right choice because of his experience, his knowledge, his education and his interest in the community,” Hilal said.

The County Council is now tasked with hiring a new administrator.

County Chairwoman Liz Gilland said the next step is to appoint a committee from County Council to assess what the county will do next.

“We will probably look in our region first,” she said. “We are very aware that Horry County is a different kind of place … someone really should be familiar with the politics, the history and the personalities. That’s a huge plus.”

County attorney John Weaver’s name has been brought up among county employees who may be interested in that job, but he said Monday it’s not for him.

“I think the council is going to be charged with determining whether or not anybody within county government is capable of doing that job,” Weaver said. “I have not expressed an interest in that and I do not think that I will.”

Knight has been with county government since 1978, when he was hired by the county’s parks and recreation commission. He has served as assistant administrator and as a division director, and took on the administrator position in 1999.

The authority, which runs the county’s landfills and recycling programs, began its second attempt at finding a director on Feb. 6 after its initial pick for the job withdrew last year.

Randy Rudd, who was the sanitation director for a Florida utility agency, agreed to take the job in October but withdrew about two weeks later because of complications with his wife’s pregnancy, officials said. He had beat out more than 40 other applicants for the position.

The authority’s last executive director, Ricky Hardee, resigned in January 2008 shortly after the authority was fined by the state for allowing potentially harmful chemicals to leak from its landfills.

The authority has been run by interim director Larry Lewis since Hardee’s departure.

The authority was created by Horry County Council in 1990 but operates independently of the rest of county government, though technically, the council could disband it at any time. It receives millions of dollars in dumping fees each year. It subsidizes recycling and educational programs, and it also saves cash to pay for closing the landfill when it reaches capacity – near 2030, if all expansions go ahead as planned.

Knight said he intends on meeting with the community that lives along S.C. 90 to help make them a part of the process in beautifying the area where the landfill was built. Recycling and a regional landfill are other topics he plans to address when he takes the helm.

He said there will be a “big void” when he finally leaves the county post.

“The worst thing I had to do was tell my staff that I applied,” he said. “We’ve accomplished a great deal there. We can do the same thing here. I’ll miss the county, but I’m right here.”

Via Sun News

Contact JASON M. RODRIGUEZ at 626-0364.

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Just two years after the County Council approved a plan that said no construction waste landfills would be needed here until 2013, officials said their landfill has enough capacity to last only a few months.

The county applied for a permit to expand its landfill more than a year ago, but the state Department of Health and Environmental Control hasn’t approved the expansion. The 17-acre addition – on property within the current landfill site – would provide enough space to last five to eight years, county officials say.

“We’d really be in a pinch” if the permit isn’t approved, said Council Chairman Buddy Motz, who until last week thought the current landfill would have enough space for about two years.

DHEC spokesman Thom Berry said the state will decide whether to approve the permit in several weeks, and county officials are confident the agency will do so.

But if someone appeals the permit – and at least one opponent of the expansion says she will – the process could be delayed for months, if not longer.

Should that happen, Berry said, the county could not use the landfill addition unless DHEC grants special permission.

Construction and demolition landfills, often called C&D landfills, accept concrete and other debris from construction sites. Those who unload their waste at the one off S.C. 5 near York pay fees of $25 per ton. In the past five fiscal years, the county has collected $3.5 million in landfill fees.

But the county’s plans for handling this type of waste have sparked controversy in recent years.

Spurring debate

The current waste management plan, adopted in 2007, ignited a firestorm when major changes were made at the last minute.

The changes included a projection that York County, now South Carolina’s fastest-growing county, would need no new construction and demolition landfills until 2013.

The last-minute changes halted plans for two C&D landfills, one on Vernsdale Road in Rock Hill and another on Quarry Road in York. The plan prompted developers of both proposed sites to file lawsuits.

“It’s ironic,” said Mike Griffin, co-owner of Griffin Brothers, the developer of a C&D landfill on Vernsdale Road. “All of a sudden, now they’re out of capacity and they were making claims that they didn’t need any new landfills while they were starting to appeal our permit.”

DHEC awarded Griffin a permit for his landfill in 2007, but the county appealed it. The permit is scheduled to be debated at an administrative law court hearing in Columbia next month.

“It’s an excruciatingly long period of time,” Griffin said of the process. “I would be the poster child of the nightmare of appeal.

“The county appealed mine, and I’m over two years out, and I still haven’t gotten in front of a judge.”

Clock is ticking

County officials are worried about the landfill running out of space during the lengthy appeals process. They hope DHEC will issue an expansion permit and answer residents’ questions so no one appeals the decision.

But Mary Ellen Connolly of York said she will file an appeal if the permit is granted.

Connolly said she’s had problems with the landfill for years. A member of the nonprofit Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, she’s concerned about the impact of the site on the local water supply.

Some people who live near the landfill, she said, don’t drink the water because they find it unclean.

“York County has not been a good neighbor,” she said. “And so the neighborhood has bowed with this resistance because of that.”

In January, Connolly went to a DHEC-organized public hearing about the landfill expansion. She said many people there shared her concerns.

She’s surprised the county has allowed the landfill to nearly reach its capacity, and a permit hasn’t been issued.

“It just seems strange to me that they are that incompetent that they’d let this sneak up on them,” she said.

County officials said they are planning ahead in case the permitting process takes longer than expected. If the landfill becomes full, officials said, the county can direct waste to another C&D landfill in the area or hire Texas-based Waste Management to haul the debris to another landfill.

But they hope they don’t have to use either of those options.

The county’s road maintenance staff already has built the expansion, and officials are just waiting for a green light from the state. And less construction waste has come into the landfill as building has slowed, meaning the site isn’t filling up as fast as it was.

Despite the landfill’s space problems, council members Joe Cox and Curwood Chappell say their opposition to more private C & D landfills remains unchanged.

“I would rather see the government own it so that we can mandate what comes in and what does not come in,” Cox said.

Chappell said he doesn’t want the county to become a dumping ground for waste from other places.

“I will work out a plan to take care of our own debris,” Chappell said, “but I will not tolerate (taking in) … what they want to flush down the toilet.”

By Charles D. Perry – cperry@heraldonline.com

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1. South Carolina joins states’ push to recycle electronics South Carolina joined an increasing number of states Thursday when...

Visitors to Hilton Head Island often complain about the lack of easily accessible recycling programs, say officials with the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.

A survey is under way to measure just how much visitors value such programs when choosing a resort destination.

The chamber is working with the Lowcountry & Resort Islands Tourism Institute at the University of South Carolina Beaufort to conduct the Resort Community Green Survey.

The survey, which began in late January and costs $3,300, is expected to continue until late April. It will help business and government leaders determine if they are meeting the demands of visitors, said Susan Thomas, vice president of the chamber’s Visitor & Convention Bureau.

It also will measure whether visitors are willing to pay to support such services.

“What we’re looking to learn is, ‘What do visitors expect from a vacation community like Hilton Head Island?’ ” Thomas said.

So far, response to the survey has shown strong interest in recycling, said John Salazar, the institute’s director.

“Some people are really wondering why Hilton Head doesn’t have recycling opportunities for visitors,” he said.

In addition to recycling, the survey also measures respondents’ behaviors concerning water conservation, public transportation and energy-saving measures.

An initial analysis of the results should be available in May, Thomas said.

Survey of ‘green’ behaviors

Residents and visitors can complete the Resort Community Green Survey, sponsored by the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce and conducted by the Lowcountry & Resort Islands Tourism Institute at the University of South Carolina Beaufort, at either of these Web sites:

• www.lriti.com

• www.hiltonheadisland.org/vacation-

Written By JOSH McCANN via Islandpacket
jmccann@islandpacket.com
843-706-8145

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For more information, see www.keepthemidlandsbeautiful.org or call (803) 733-1139.

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Some highlights: attendance up by 2K, every event sold out, and a significant increase in local ticket sales.

I’m not surprised to see that attendance was up at this year’s festival, particularly for locals. This was the first year the festival offered a locals-only ticket for the Sunday culinary village, which I thought was a cool option.

They also had a marquee celebuchef to help pull in the crowds. The Bobby Flay event I went to on Friday afternoon was slammed. He was a huge draw.

Overall, this year’s programming was spot on. In its fourth year, the festival has hit its stride, providing events and seminars that appeal to the professional attendees as well as nonprofessional food lovers. The level of talent they bring in is pretty impressive too, which has a lot to do with the participation and reputation of our local chefs.

And finally, the festival should be commended for increasing its recycling. They’ll announce the final numbers on how much was recycled next week. Their janitorial service worked with Fisher Recycling to pick up cardboard cases, wine, and beer bottles each day at the culinary village, and they brought in 15 of the city’s new recycling bins for events to encourage attendees to recycle, so that number should be pretty big.

By Stephanie Barna

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1. South Carolina joins states’ push to recycle electronics South Carolina joined an increasing number of states Thursday when...

“This is truly an honor, but it is a partnership between the faculty, staff, students and the recycling team,” Holland said.

In 1990, state legislation asked all state agencies to reduce refuse collection by 25 percent. The college used the request to enhance its existing recycling efforts by extending challenges to faculty, staff and students. Using posters, individual and divisional awards and recognition efforts, the college was able to reduce the cost of refuse pick up by 50 percent within the first three years of the campaign.

“The college has made waste reduction a priority for many years,” said Dale Wilson, physical plant director. “We’re finding ways to improve our efforts each year,” he explained.

Wilson pointed to Holland as the driving force behind the institution’s successful waste reduction efforts.

“Brenda successfully negotiated contracts to place recycling collection dumpsters on campus and has helped the college secure a number of recycling grants over the last 13 years,” explained Wilson.

In 2008, Holland’s efforts resulted in more than 58 tons of recycled goods, including 38.75 tons of paper goods-an amount that has increased substantially over the last three fiscal years-and more than 12 tons of electronic equipment.

As a result of Holland’s continuing commitment to promoting the importance of recycling, her program receives 100 percent participation from faculty, staff and students at the college.

Holland expanded the program to promote the use of leaves, grass and limb clippings as mulch for use in beds and eroded areas. She also implemented cost-saving measures to ensure that the program will remain sustainable by identifying and developing relationships with vendors who are able to provide pickup services free of charge.

“Brenda’s commitment to continuous improvement has led to an expertise that has been recognized throughout the higher education community,” said Dr. Ray Brooks, president of PTC. “Her willingness to implement innovative new strategies, her dedication to improvement and her impressive results make Brenda Holland an excellent choice for the DHEC Recycling Professional of the Year.”

“The college is very fortunate to have a person like this to initiate and maintain our recycling program,” said Wilson. “Many initiatives have been put in place in the past 20 years and the success of the program can be attributed to Brenda’s dedication and knowledge of the recycling process.”

Posted by:  www.Gwdtoday.com

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Seneca was recognized in the category of municipalities with less than 20,000 people.

“Our recycling program is not mandatory, it’s voluntary,” said Mayor Dan Alexander. “We asked people in our community to take part and try to help. This award speaks well of our residents’ and businesses’ willingness to take part in our recycling program. I’m so proud of all the hard work by the city staff that went into receiving this award.”

In the past year, 44 percent of the solid waste collected by the city was recycled. Also the city recycles approximately one ton of cardboard each day.

“I think it speaks well of the residents and businesses, because they take time out of their day to sort and separate things simply because it’s the right thing to do,” said Mark Krabbe, sanitation, recycling, motor pool, and streets director for Seneca.

Seven employees work in the city’s sanitation and recycling department. Seneca is running daily residential collection routes providing curbside collection for garbage and recycling.

“This is a great award, and it shows how the community pulls together to do the right thing by reducing the garbage in the landfill,” said city administrator Greg Dietterick. “But I can’t say enough great things about our folks over at the recycling department and what they do every day that we take for granted. We can’t do that, because they do so much for this community and keep our standard of living up so well. We’re very proud of what they do, and they deserve congratulations.”

Krabbe said, “We recycle cardboard, plastic, paper and mixed paper. We separate it. We take a recycling truck and drive through the streets. As we pick up garbage, we also recycle. We separate it on our truck and then deliver it to the county landfill. The county processes it and sells it. That helps cover some of the cost of solid waste in the whole county.”

Seneca is part of Oconee County’s solid waste plan, and Krabbe said the county deserves a lot of credit for making this award possible.

“We work closely with the county and they play a big part in our ability to provide the services that we have,” Krabbe said. “The other cities in Oconee County also have excellent recycling programs. We all work closely together and provide back-up to each other when needed.”

He also said, “Recycling will save us some space in our landfill and makes the landfill last longer and these items get reused, we recycle them, they get reprocessed, and they get reused.”

The state’s annual awards program allows the health department to recognize the top recycling programs and projects, as well as to thank people who work hard to make recycling a success in South Carolina.

By: Chad Dorsett/WSNW AM-1150/Special to the Independent-Mail

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1. South Carolina joins states’ push to recycle electronics South Carolina joined an increasing number of states Thursday when...

Charleston County Council continues to weigh its options as it prepares to make a decision on whether to renew its contract for the trash incinerator in North Charleston.

County Councilwoman Colleen Condon says it has become obvious that Charleston County needs to increase its recycling efforts whether council decided to continue using the incinerator or to increase landfilling.

“Can we alleviate the need for an incinerator if we increase recycling,” Condon asked.

That’s the multi-million-dollar question on the minds of all the County Council members.

Currently, Charleston County recycles roughly 10 percent of all waste it collects. Condon says the County needs to quadruple that number for environmental and economic reasons.

“To me, it made it absolutely clear when you look at the prices we have to aim for 40 percent recycling.”

The Charleston County Recycling Plant in downtown Charleston on Romney Street processes about 10 tons of materials every hour, and about 100 tons every day. Condon wants to increase residential and commerical recycling so that the County would recycle at least 400 tons every day and, eventually, about 100-thousand tons every year.

“This facility is self-sufficient,” Condon said. “The cost of the materials that we sell actually pays for the building. But it doesn’t pay for the pickup.”

And pickup seems to be the biggest thing standing in the way of increased recycling.

Too much area, not enough trucks.

But Condon says increasing funding for more trucks and more pickup routes would be a worthwhile investment.

“Recycling a can is still cheaper than having to pay for landfilling of that can for the next… hundred years until it dissolves, or look at burning it and other options,” Condon said.

Even if increased spending is needed to increase recycling Condon says the savings of million per year would still greatly out-weigh the spending.

“When we add these kind of options in we could be saving millions of dollars a year if we could just be a little bit better about recycling what can be recycled.”

Condon also says it’s important for businesses to realize the value of recycling if the County is going to increase its effort overall.

A lot of business owners don’t know they could save significant amounts of money by recycling more.

The County charges for waste disposal based on the number of pounds of trash delivered to the incinerator or landfill.

But the County does not charges for pickup of recyclable materials.

So every pound of waste a business recycles is one pound of waste they are not having to pay for.

Some businesses save hundreds, even thousands every month by recycling.

People can also request free recycling bins for their homes by calling 720-7111.

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1. South Carolina joins states’ push to recycle electronics South Carolina joined an increasing number of states Thursday when...

The Charleston County Government’s Solid Waste and Recycling Department recently won the 2008 Most Outstanding Waste Reduction/Recycling Program Award for a county with a population greater than 150,000 at the 14th Annual Recycle Guys Awards Program.

The program recognizes South Carolina’s top recycling programs, projects, and people and it’s easy to see why Charleston County won for the third time. From 2007 to 2008 the amount of recyclable materials collected increased about 10%, from 19,000 tons to a whopping 21,000 tons in 2008.

The Charleston County Government also provided curbside pick-up of recyclables to 130,000 homes, targeting 39 new neighborhoods in 2008. It operates seven drop-off sites with an additional 32 drop-off sites for cardboard collection.

This past year the county implemented a multi-family recycling program in nine apartment complexes and collected cardboard, paper, glass, and plastic from 115 schools in Charleston County as well as any commercial establishment along their routes.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control presented the award for Charleston’s wide variety of recycling programs and its wide target audience of residents, businesses, and schools.

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1. South Carolina joins states’ push to recycle electronics South Carolina joined an increasing number of states Thursday when...