Ever wonder what happens to those four containers you leave at the curb for trash pickup? The answers may surprise you, and city and county officials want your reaction and your ideas before making any big changes to the way they handle a burgeoning waste problem, and before new waste disposal contracts are decided this Spring. Any solutions will be complex and costly, which is why the League of Women Voters of Marion and Polk Counties wants plenty of citizen input.

The League is sponsoring a three-part series of community forums dealing with waste reduction, waste management, growth and sustainable solutions. Called “Dealing With Waste in a Sustainable Community”, the forums are co-sponsored by a host of local civic groups. CCTV’s coverage of the first, held January 22 at Willamette University's Cone Chapel is now airing on Channel 21 (see schedule below for replay times) and is available on our web site as streaming video. Speakers (shown from left to right) included Cathie Davidson, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, John Matthews of Garten Services, a local recycling business, and Alan Pennington, Waste Reduction Coordinator for Marion County Environmental Services.

Why call them “solid waste” forums? “Because it’s more encompassing,” says LWV member, Vernadene Anderson, who heads the League’s team conducting its own two-year study to update its 1996 position and to get public input before reaching a new one. “If people think “garbage” they only think of household garbage, whereas waste includes everything from ash to medical waste to construction materials.”

To learn more about the forums visit the League of Women Voters of Marion and Polk Counties web site at: www.marionpolk.or.lwvnet.org.

Streaming Video - (Requires Windows Media Player)