RE: [greenyes] NO TO SUBSIDIES FOR WASTE

["David Wood" <david@no.address>]

Thanks Lance, and everyone else who has contributed to the e-mail
exchange on the energy bill, subsidies in it, etc. I agree that GRRN
should take the lead on this, and will offer GRRN to assume that role.
When the cloture votes failed in the Senate, I knew we'd have time to
assess our options and take that time to develop a real strategy. For
folks who contacted their Senators in the flurry of activity late last
week, thank you. 

Bill Sheehan, Peter Anderson and I have exchanged initial e-mails about
the various strategic options and how best to use GRRN's limited
resources. 

David Wood
GRRN
Madison, WI
608-255-4800, ext. 100
 
-----Original Message-----
From: lkingeco2@no.address [mailto:lkingeco2@no.address] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2003 12:27 PM
To: susanh@no.address; dpw180@no.address;
Jeffrey.Aluotto@no.address; pfranklin@no.address;
greenyes@no.address
Cc: davids@no.address; Timf@no.address;
alexd@no.address; carolynl@no.address;
diannak@no.address; Jimp@no.address;
Kario@no.address; Karys@no.address;
kenh@no.address; Margieo@no.address;
noelleb@no.address; Timb@no.address; lkingeco2@no.address
Subject: Re: [greenyes] NO TO SUBSIDIES FOR WASTE

Susan Hubbard, Peter Anderson and Doug Koplow have raised subsidy issues
over 
the past few days concerning landfill gas, bioreactors and ways in which
the 
Energy Conference Report on HR 6 adversely affects recycling.  While
each 
raised somewhat different points, there is a new opportunity for the
recycling 
community to address recycling and subsidy issues with members of the
U.S. Senate 
in the next
4-5 weeks.

The filibuster last week delayed potential action on HR 6 until January
2004. 
 If the recycling community can develop a simple message (2 or 3 bullet 
points), then it is worth circulating a one-page sign-on letter and a
one-page fact 
sheet to all U.S. Senators.

GRRN had Peter doing some work on landfills and bioreactors.  Would GRRN
want 
to take the lead?  I haven't seen the staff or board weigh in on the
GreenYes 
e-mail exchange.

Frankly, the problem in the Senate Finance Commmittee and House Ways &
Means 
Committee was that GRRN didn't have a champion on the issue.

But with the filibuster on the Senate floor, the more people unearth
about 
the bill the greater the possibility of halting or changing the bill.

MTBE affects 1,500 communities, with 153,000 locations.  The League of
Cities 
says the liability cap in HR 6 amounts to an "unfunded mandate" that
will 
cost local government $32 billion.  The Conference of Mayors makes the
same kind 
of argument, but puts the cost at $29 billion.  If this issue gets taken
out, 
HR 6 would probably pass easily.  But President Bush couldn't get House 
Majority Leader Tom DeLay to back down.

Those individuals, organizations and public officials concerned about 
treating landfill gas as a "renewable" energy source, about bioreactors
and about 
subsidies that undermine recycling have a reasonable amount of time to
mount a 
grassroots campaign with at least one national news release, letter
writing to 
all 100 senators, telephone calls and visits. But somebody needs to take
the 
lead and commit resources.

Lance King
Community Solutions
Tel 703/536-7282

In a message dated 11/26/03 12:40:11 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
susanh@no.address writes:

> 
> Yes, let's see.
> 
> Subsidies in the form of tax credits for landfill gas and waste to
> energy projects are not beneficial to the environment. Landfill owners
> should be required to collect and use gas generated in their disposal
> operations. They should not be subsidized. The real cost of disposal
is
> hidden within these subsidies. Subsidizing waste hurts recycling.
> 
> Waste to energy and landfill gas is not renewable - they are man made.
> Solar and wind power is renewable. Subsidizing these energies make it
> harder for real renewables like wind and solar energy to compete.
> 
> Please call your Senators stating your opposition for the energy bill
> and tax incentives for landfill gas to energy projects, and
> waste-to-energy projects.   
> 
> 
> Susan Hubbard 
> CEO
> Eureka Recycling
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dan De Grassi [mailto:dpw180@no.address] 
> Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2003 11:14 AM
> To: Aluotto, Jeffrey; Pat Franklin; Green Yes
> Subject: RE: [greenyes] City of Cleveland to discontinue curbside
> recycling
> 
> Lets see now...
> 
> The comprehensive energy bill is coming to vote in the Senate, but
> opposition is trying to mount a filibuster to stop final passage of
the
> bill.  Tax credits for landfill gas and waste-to-energy where included
> in the final conference report and would provide meaningful financial
> incentives for those industries.  These projects will provide reliable
> green energy while helping to diversify our country's energy sources.
> 
> Just a heads up that HR6, the Energy Policy Act of 2003 that has just
> been passed by the House, contains a range of provisions likely to
harm
> recycling and composting.  Though I am still in the process of
analyzing
> the bill, it is clear that many wastes that can be recycled will
receive
> tax subsidies of 1.8 or 1.2 cents per kWh if they are instead burned
for
> electricity
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Aluotto, Jeffrey [mailto:Jeffrey.Aluotto@no.address]
> Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2003 4:12 AM
> To: 'Pat Franklin'; Green Yes
> Subject: RE: [greenyes] City of Cleveland to discontinue curbside
> recycling
> 
> 
> In other Ohio news, the Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting this morning
> that
> the City's proposed 2004 budget does not include the curbside
recycling
> program.  The Mayor characterized this as a program "suspension" which
> would
> resume "when the economy picks up".  Council members still need to
vote
> on
> the budget and most seem to be fairly supportive.
> 
> Cincinnati operates one of Ohio's oldest and largest curbside
recycling
> programs - collecting over 12,000 tons annually.  For more information
> on
> Cincinnati please see 
> www.cincinnati-oh.gov
> 
> Jeff
> 
> Jeffrey W. Aluotto
> Manager,
> Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District
> 
>