THURSDAY OCTOBER 29, 2009
5:45 AM

Today is a big day in the way garbage is handled in the City of Wynne and in Cross
County. Earlier this month the East Arkansas Regional Solid Waste Management Board voted that all garbage (every type of garbage) must be taken to the landfill in West Memphis. The city has been taking our household garbage to West Memphis and the other trash that we collect to the Delta Environmental landfill located between Wynne and Parkin.

The actions of the board mean that all of our trash must go to West Memphis. It also means that all of the trash collected in the county and the trash that individual citizens and contractors must now go to West Memphis. This will probable mean that cost will increase.

The board meets this morning to have a public hearing on proposed regulations that will allow the board to enforce these regulations. After the public hearing, the board will vote on the new regulations. If these regulations are adopted it will force the local landfill to not accept any trash from Cross County. It will probably mean that the landfill cannot operate because of the loss of business.

I have mixed feelings about these regulations. In the past I thought that only household garbage had to be taken to West Memphis. I did not support the regulation that all trash had to go to West Memphis. I have supported this by making sure that our class one trash was taken to West Memphis. In fact we had to haul our class one trash to West Memphis for over a year to make sure that our class one trash was taken to West Memphis. This cost the city more money, but I supported the district in providing the city with an approved landfill to handle our garbage.

I do not support the regulation that all garbage go to the district landfill. I think that the local landfill should be allowed to accept the trash other than class one. But for the past eleven years, I have supported the district and if the new regulations are adopted, I will suport the action of the majority.

I look forward to the meetings this morning.