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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 1973)
County recycling plant proposed By KAY HILL Of the Emerald Cliff Shirley, a former real estate dealer in Eugene, is in the process of presenting to the county a sanitation disposal system that would recycle “practically everything.” Shirley, now president of Universal Developers, the company that bought the Oregon franchise for the recycling plant from the Sira Corporation in Los Gatos, Calif., claims that not only can the plant recycle glass, paper and cans but tires, refrigerators, water heaters, and sewage as well, all in one location. It cannot handle concrete, auto6 and some chemical waste. All of the material is placed on a conveyor belt inside the plant where it is there separated into burnable and non-burnable material. The material goes through a hammer mill where everything is reduced and ferrous metal is pulled out by magnets and sold to metal companies. The garbage, waste and refuse is, as Shirley explained, “finally reduced by 99 per cent and can be made into usable material.” Non burnable materials, he con tinued, after being broken down, “are trapped in the slag and drained off with the residue.” “We think that most of the recycled material could be used in road and building construction, for some reduced materials, the only use we know for them now is land fill,” Shirley added. Universal Developers is all ready to start construction of the plant. The only thing preventing it is county approval. Nancy Hayward, county commissioner, when asked about the possibilities of the county accepting the proposal, replied, “We can’t really say much until we’ve heard what he’s proposing. There has been no direct contact, no arrangement with him and no decision has been made.” At 11 a.m.- Wednesday, the com missioners, along with their staff of people in charge of waste disposal, will listen to Shirley’s proposal. “We will strongly consider any proposals he has, if they seem feasible, we will surely embrace them,” she added. About a year ago, Hayward, Owen Brown of EWEB, and others went down to Los Gatos to see a model of the plans When they arrived, the plant was, as Hayward put it, “stone cold. There was no indication that it had ever ran.” When Shirley was asked about the trip, he replied, “That morning, the plant had broken down. A large amount of slag and other materials had been trapped in a place that was keeping the material from gang through. It was too late to stop the trip. Of those who saw the plant when it wasn’t operating, they couldn’t help but be negative,” he said. “They couldn’t help but change their minds if they ever saw it in operation, seeing it burn at least five tons of garbage in an hour,” Shirley added. Shirley had originally planned on putting the plant near the Autzen Stadium parking lot, When Commissioner Hayward was questioned about the feasibilty of that, she replied, “That’s a park.” Shirley was presenting the location because “we want to make the plant into an en vironmental park, landscaped with fountains and shrubbery,” he said. Hayward replied that “it is a park, not an environmental park.” When asked where he would propose that the plant be built, since the county land he con sidered was rejected, he an swered, “We were naive enough to think we could get the land in the comer of Autzen Stadium. The plant will have excessive amounts of heat energy and in that location, we thought it would be more accessible for use by the Eugene Power supply.” Universal Developers will now propose Chase Gardens, which is private land, or a location near Eugene Sand and Gravel near the Belt Line and Delta highway. Approximately two weeks ago, Shirley approached BRING, the area’s recycling corporation, and offered them the profits of the plant, which he estimated to be around $5000 per month, if they would like to operate the plant. BRING made no response at the meeting and is still con sidering the offer. “BRING stands where it was at the meeting. If it (the plant) does not do harm to the environment in terms of water and air pollution or emitting heat of high degrees into the atmosphere, it will be considered. We want to make sure that it doesn’t violate anything that BRING stands for,” said Peter Thurston, spokesman for BRING. BRING is waiting to make any decision until their people have investigated the proposal more and until the county com missioners reach a decision. “If it’s approved and accepted, Joint resolution calls for unicameral legislature By NAN HENDERSON Of the Emerald SALEM (Special) — A joint resolution calling for a con stitutional amendment to establish a unicameral (one house) legislature to meet an nually beginning in 1977 was among the legislation introduced here last week. Rep. Vera Katz (D-Portland), Rep. Larry Perry (D-Eugene) and Rep. Keith Skelton (D Portland) sponsored the measure (HJR 8) which was referred Thursday to the House State and Federal Affairs Committee. Katz said she introduced the bill primarily to initiate “an educational process” about an idea “we ought to start thinking about. Katz pointed out, “There is a tremendous duplication of effort in the current process,” such as in the research done in both houses. She said the traditional argument for a two-house legislature — the need for checks and balances — might not hold up when examining the way the legislative system works in Oregon. Katz said that under the present system lobbyists decide which house they can push their legislation through and con centrate their efforts in that chamber. She said that Nebraska is the only state that currently operates under a unicameral system. “But a lot of other states have been seriously looking at it in the last few years.” Other legislation introduced last week included: — SB 159, a comprehensive revision of landlord-tenant laws, which establishes obligations of a landlord for rental maintenance and return of cleaning deposits, and outlines tenants’ rights if the landlord fails to fulfill his obligations. The bill was referred to the Senate committee (Hi local government and urban affairs; no hearing date has been an nounced. — SB 25, which authorizes the sale of condoms in vending machines. The bill was referred to the Senate Human Resources Committee and no hearing date has been announced. — HJR 9, which amends the constitution to require the legislature to meet in even numbered years to consider only state financial matters. The bill was referred to the House Rules committee, no hearing date has been set. — HB 2116, HB 2117, which expand existing laws prohibiting discrimination in places of public accommodation, in admission to state institutions, and in selling, renting or leasing property to include discrimination on the basis of sex. The bills were referred to the House State and Federal Affairs Committee, no hearing dates have been announced. — HB 2138, which deletes prohibition that only males be allowed to participate in wrestling matches. The bill was referred to the House State and Federal Affairs Committee; no hearing date has been an nounced. — HB 2147, which increases the membership of the State Board of Higher Education to include three student members. The bill was referred to the House Education Committee; no hearing date has been an nounced. — HB 2152, which prohibits the disposal of nuclear wastes originating outside Oregon, at any disposal site in Oregon. The bill was read for the first time Friday. and in line with BRING’s policies, we will probably accept it,” said Thurston. “It’s really hard to say anything though, it’s a big step. For now BRING will continue working on 24-hour drop off spots and our drop off at the dump,” Thurston concluded. ODE 3:31 p.m. Newport in New York: 1972 the Jam Sessions KWAX-FM 91.1 THE SECOND ANNUAL WILLAMETTE I > TALLEY VOLK VESTIYAL • 1*72 j j
