[greenyes] Recyclers Applaud Iowa Governor Vilsack's Veto

["Bill Sheehan" <zerowaste@no.address>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
 
RECYCLERS APPLAUD IOWA GOVERNOR VILSACK 
FOR SAVING STATE'S RECYCLING EFFORTS
 
      An attempt to repeal Iowa's ban on landfilling 
of yard trimmings was defeated on June 3rd when 
Governor Tom Vilsack line-vetoed a provision in a bill 
passed by the legislature that would have done that.  
 
His veto message stated:
 
"This section would allow sanitary landfills with an 
active methane collection system to accept yard waste.  
This action will be a major step backwards for 
integrated solid waste management creating a need for 
communities to expand existing facilities or find new 
property for landfills.  Yard waste is best managed at 
a composting facility and is one of the keys in 
improving Iowa's water quality.  Collecting methane 
from landfills is still relatively inefficient.  
As urged by numerous recycling groups who support 
integrated solid waste management, pollution is best 
prevented by not disposing of yard waste at a 
landfill."
 
      The Coalition to Oppose Attacks on Recycling in 
America, which had led opposition to the repeal 
effort, applauded Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack's wise 
decision to veto legislation that would have crippled 
the state's composting efforts by permitting yard 
trimmings to be discarded in landfills with gas 
collection systems.
 
      Iowa is one of 22 states with such laws that 
have served as one of the two major pillars of 
America's success story with recycling. Close to one-
third of the municipal waste stream has been 
successfully diverted from landfills, and yard waste 
bans are responsible for almost half of that.  
 
      "To have lost such a vital tool for our recovery 
efforts would have been tragic," said Bill Sheehan, 
Co-Director of the GrassRoots Recycling Network, which 
organized the coalition. 
 
      "Composting," noted US Composting Council 
representative Jim McNelly, "along with recycling, is 
critical to protecting the environment from the 
pollution caused by landfilling."
 
      The bill number that contained the provision 
that was line-vetoed is Senate File 458 and the 
section number is 133.    The members of the Coalition 
are the GassRoots Recycling Network, the U.S. 
Composting Council, the Natural Resources Defense 
Council, Friends of the Earth, the Institute for Local 
Self Reliance, Eco-Cycle, Eureka Recycling, the 
Ecology Center, Filtrexx International and Waukesha 
Environmental Action League.
 
Technical discussion of the issue is posted at 
www.GRRN.org/landfill/yardtrimmings/ 
 
For more information contact : Peter Anderson at 
(608) 231-1100
 
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