[P2assist] WAKE COUNTY ASKS PUBLIC FOR INPUT ON SOLID WASTE PLANNING

[Sharon LaPalme]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 25, 2002	

Contacts: Marshall Parrish, Wake County Solid Waste Division 919-856-5597
Sharon LaPalme, N.C. Rural Communities Assistance Project slapalme@ncrcap.org

WAKE COUNTY ASKS PUBLIC FOR INPUT ON LONG-TERM
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANNING

Wake County Environmental Services will hold four public meetings around the
County in coming weeks to gather public input for use in revising the County's
10-Year Solid Waste Management Plan, which details solid waste programs and
goals, including recycling programs, disposal options, and new facility
development.

The County's Solid Waste Management staff is asking residents, businesses,
community organizations and other stakeholders to express solid waste
concerns, ideas, and needs at any of these meetings:  

Meeting Date	Location (all meetings start at 7 pm)
October 29	Historic Garner Auditorium, 742 West Garner Road, Garner

November 7	Wake County Eastern Regional Center, 1002 Dogwood Drive, Zebulon

November 12	Wake Forest Town Hall Board Room, 410 Elm Avenue, Wake Forest

November 13	Sunrise United Methodist Church, 5420 Sunset Lake Road, Holly
Springs

Comments also can be sent to Wake County in these ways: 
· email at wakesolidwasteplan@co.wake.nc.us
· regular mail to: Solid Waste Plan, Wake County Environmental Services, 7th
floor WCOB, PO Box 550, Raleigh, NC, 27602.
 
 Each year, Wake County industries, businesses, and residents generate
approximately 1 million tons of waste. Commercial waste accounts for up to 70%
of this waste stream. The County's population also is growing rapidly at
nearly 60 persons per day.  As a result, the County faces issues such as
dwindling landfill space, the need to locate new facilities, and increasing
costs of providing services.

Wake County has embarked on this public meeting process for solid waste
management planning for an important reason. Jim Reynolds, Solid Waste
Director for Wake County Environmental Services, said it is crucial that
citizens and businesses play an active role in helping to find solutions.

"Every citizen of Wake County has a stake in this," he said. "They pay for it
and it affects their environment. All community groups need to have the
opportunity to help plan for the future and we need to hear their ideas." 

The goal of the planning process is to create a consolidated plan that
involves the County and all of its municipalities working together. A
consolidated plan will attempt to establish better solid waste services for
everyone as well as lay out a blueprint for achieving waste reduction and
recycling goals. 

Bee Weddington, a citizen member of Wake County's Solid Waste Advisory
Committee, said she looks forward to the opportunity presented by the public
meetings. 

"This second updating of the County's Solid Waste Management Plan offers our
residents the opportunity to express their concerns and suggestions before the
revision reaches its final stages," she said. "Many innovative programs can
come from these meetings."

State guidelines require that the County complete the update to the 10-Year
Solid Waste Management Plan by June 30, 2003. Once the public meetings are
held, the Solid Waste Advisory Committee will work on incorporating the ideas
and discussion into the plan. The updated plan will then go to the Board of
Commissioners and each municipality for approval.

Wake County is working with the North Carolina Rural Communities Assistance
Project, a statewide non-profit organization that works on water and waste
disposal issues, and R.W. Beck, a private consulting firm, to plan for and
publicize these meetings. For questions regarding the public meetings, call
NCRCAP at 919-542-7227.

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